


The Colour of My True Love's Hair

by wrath_of_dawn



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, HHB - Freeform, Happy Hungry Bunch Modern AU, Romance, Share house living, in-progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:29:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22079968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrath_of_dawn/pseuds/wrath_of_dawn
Summary: My first attempt at a Modern AU/University AU fic.
Relationships: Son Hak/Yona
Comments: 13
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

It had been just a few short weeks since Hak, Yona and the rest of their friends had all moved into a townhouse together a few blocks away from their University. While they were all in different years, surprisingly enough they all got along fairly well and figured they were better off getting a place together rather than being on their own or rooming with strangers.

Luckily, since there were seven of them paying for it, they were able to afford a nice place –If a bit old and worn, that had 3 floors, an open kitchen, a bathroom on each floor, and enough rooms that they could share between them all.

The only exception to this, however, would be Yona, as she would be the only girl there, so she would have the luxury of a room to herself, but this didn’t really bother the others. They all loved Yona and felt it was their responsibility to look after and protect the young girl, much to her chagrin as she felt they worried too much.

Out of the three rooms left to spare, the guys decided to draw names at random to see who would bunk with who.

Much to Hak’s dismay he got paired up with Jae-ha, the soul person he found borderline intolerable out of their group of friends. While the two did occasionally do the odd gig playing for small bars together to make some extra cash, Hak too often found the pervy Droopy Eyes to pry too much into his thoughts.

Kija would be with Yun, which served both of them just as well seeing as they were the two biggest study nerds of the group and would appreciate a quiet roommate out of the other. This left the happy-go-lucky Zeno and quiet Shin-ah to share the last room.

Unpacking had surely been an adventure when the group discovered that Shin-ah had somehow managed to sneak his rescued pet squirrel into the house even though they all knew the landlord didn’t allow pets. He had raised the mischievous little thing since it had been a baby that had fallen from its nest, and while Ao was generally well behaved and friendly, she could be overly clingy at times. This didn’t exactly bother anyone living in the house, but it would become a problem if the little rodent was seen going in and out of their house trying to follow them and someone told the landlord.

After a group discussion lead by Yun (who seemed to often be in charge of the whole group despite being the youngest), it was decided that they would try and take turns having someone always at the house that could watch Ao when everyone else was gone, otherwise they would just have to hide her in their bags or jackets as they came in and out.

No one had the heart tell suggest that the animal should be taken out of the house entirely as they all had a soft spot for their ‘little group mascot’ as they liked to call her.

And so, months later as winter break began to approach, Hak somehow found himself with some downtime and the house to himself. Despite there being seven of them living together, by now most of the group had started to leave for Winter break. Yun had already finished his exams ages ago and went home to stay with Ik-su for the holidays, Kija went home to his granny’s, Shin-ah to his uncle Ao’s (yes, he named his squirrel after him) and Zeno went off to stay at his girlfriend Kaya’s.

With those four gone it was just him, Droopy eyes and Yona left behind and currently, Jae-ha had decided that right before exams was a great time to go out for drinks and get piss drunk for the night.

‘idiot’, Hak thought to himself.

Yona, on the other hand, had gone to sleepover at Lili’s as they had decided to have a last minute study session, leaving Hak home alone.

He and Yona would be heading back to his place for the break since Yona’s father had passed away less than a year ago now.

He sighed, leaning back against the headboard of his bed. Things had been really rough those first few months after she lost her father. She had already lost her mother at a young age and to have her father’s death be under suspicion of murder was devastating for her.

For him as well.

He had grown up knowing her father since he was a young child messing around with Yona and her cousin Su-won. The same Su-won that was being interrogated at the moment for possibly aiding in the murder of Yona’s father. They couldn’t find any damning evidence yet but after the near overnight change in his demeanour that he and Yona witnessed when he was told the tragic news, they believed the accusations against him.

Especially when they learned how all of the inheritance just happened to be left to Su-won and nothing to Yona, his own daughter.

The man they saw that day, who barely batted an eye at the news, was not their friend. He was a different man entirely, and one they did not know, nor care to know.

The betrayal they had felt after that, had only worsened an already bad situation, and with no other family for her to turn to, Hak had taken her with him to his place to stay with his adoptive grandfather and little brother Tae-yun for the time being.

It had taken a few months of grief and healing and a lot of hard work and late nights of studying afterwards to catch up, but Yona was able to graduate and was accepted into the same university as Hak.

He was a year above her but him being there wasn’t why she had applied. It was one of the top universities in the country but getting to stay together even as they went off to further their studies and try and start their lives, sure was a nice bonus.

The gift of getting to keep some normality in her life he supposed.

This week, however, given that he had already finished his exams and was just waiting for Yona to finish her last one on Friday, he had been rather bored and spent a lot of his newfound downtime trying to come up with some new songs he could try preforming at his next gig.

Hak had always had a love for music growing up, along with his passion for martial arts. And while Gramps had been a great martial arts teacher, Hak had preferred to be self-taught when it came to his acoustic guitar and his songwriting.

He’d found he had a particular knack for finger strumming, so he could layer and figure out more parts for a song at once.

While no one was home, he figured it was a good a time as any to try and find a melody for the lyrics he had spent all week writing (words he had kept hidden away from his overly nosey roommate) and see what he could come up with.

After a few short attempts here and there, trying out some different combinations of chords and pausing to scribble some stuff down, he sat up on his bed he began to lightly strum on his guitar, closing his eyes as he slowly let the words fall from his mouth;

“Red is the colour of my true love's hair

Her lips are like some roses fair

She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon she stands

I love my love, but she’ll never know

I love the ground whereon she goes

How I wish that day would soon come

When she and I can be as one

I think of her pain and I mourn and weep

For without her smile I’d never sleep

I write her letters just a few short lines

And I suffer death ten thousand times

Red is the colour of my true love's hair

Her lips are like some roses fair

She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon she stands

I love the ground whereon she stands

I love, I love, I love the ground whereon she stands. . .”

Ending it off with a final few more chords, he sighed and looked out his window. It was getting late and he should probably go make himself something to eat before he forgot and ended up falling asleep on an empty stomach again. After he’d eaten he could start solidifying a melody to go with his lyrics.

{*****}

Yona was tired and starting to feel the cold as she trudged back towards the townhouse late that night. She was supposed to stay over at Lili’s so that they could study together for their final exam on Friday but after 20 minutes of waiting at the coffee shop they had agreed to meet at, Lili had texted her saying she was going to have to cancel as she was sick as a dog and vomiting.

While she felt terrible for her friend because she was feeling so ill, Yona was also a little annoyed because Lili was a lot more comfortable with this subject and didn’t have a lot of study left to do.

 _She_ on the other hand, could not say the same, so after staying at the coffee shop studying until it closed she started to head back home where she figured she’d take a short break before hitting the books again and praying that she retained some more information.

‘Maybe I’ll sleep with my notes under my pillow tonight’ she thought to herself, hoping in vain that it might help her remember the content she needed to know for the exam. She’d tried it once before and it actually seemed to help a little.

Taking her phone out from her pocket, she checked the time.

It was already midnight.

With that in mind, she figured she might as well call it a night and head to bed. She still had one more day to study before her last exam and she had worked hard tonight. By now, she was so tired she knew nothing else would stay in her head at this point anyway.

Rounding the corner to her street, she rummaged through her bag for her keys and let herself in. She figured Hak would already be asleep by now, so she tried to keep quiet as she shut the door and started to make her way up the stairs to her room on the top floor.

As she crept down the creaky hallway she could hear music coming from Hak and Jae-ha’s room which lay just beside hers.

“At least I’ll have something nice to fall asleep to” she muttered as she entered her room and dumped her stuff on the floor before collapsing on her bed. Listening closer, she could just make out the sound of Hak singing and she smiled softly to herself.

She didn’t often get to hear him sing, as he mainly preferred to write lyrics and play guitar, but she always loved the sound of his voice. Though most wouldn’t guess it just by looking at him, Hak had a wonderful singing voice, deep and smooth. She had once asked him to sing at her birthday for her when they were kids, but he’d adamantly refused, promising her that he’d at least play the guitar though instead.

Mustering up whatever energy she had left, she got up and walked over to sit in her beanbag chair that rested against the wall that divided their rooms so that she could hear better. She made sure not to make her footsteps too loud however as she knew that if he found out she was listening he’d get self-conscious and stop. She didn’t know why he was self-conscious about singing for other people, but he was nonetheless, and she left it at that, not wanting to pry.

As she made herself comfortable in the oversized beanbag, she laid her head back and listened as he sang.

The melody was low and calming when he stopped suddenly, probably to scribble down a few notes or corrections before he changed his mind and she heard him restart the song from the beginning.

While she wasn’t quite able to catch the first word when her bean bag crunched as she shifted slightly in her seat, the rest of the song nearly brought her to tears.

It was beautiful.

Slow and heartfelt, it was a song about heartache and of unrequited love.

Sitting there, she couldn’t help but think about her own struggles of the heart.

For months now, she had been wrestling with newfound feelings for her childhood friend. They had always been close as kids, but it felt different now somehow. Hak had been with her through thick and thin, and most especially through her grief when she needed someone to lean on, and it was during that time that she started to see him for who he was.

While he was still annoying when he teased her and immature at times, he was also really caring and kind and most importantly, he showed such unwavering loyalty to her.

Something stable to hold on to when the world seemed to spin around her.

It made her feel safe with him like she’d never felt with anyone before. Made her feel as though he was the one person she didn’t have to be afraid would leave her, and yet she knew that wasn’t fair to dump everything on him, so she tried to hide how much she felt the need to cling to him.

When she heard him strum out a last few notes before leaving his room and walking down to the kitchen, she heaved herself out of her chair and made the effort to get more comfortable by changing out of her jeans into her PJs and get ready for bed.

Once she finally lay down under the covers and tried to go to sleep, she was frustrated to find that her mind was still too wound up from the busy day that she couldn’t get it to shut off and let her rest.

After tossing and turning for a few more minutes she hopped out of bed once more and shoved on her slippers before going over to sit on her small balcony, hoping that the cool night air would help her mind relax and let her sleep.

Taking a blanket with her, she sat down on the old camp chair that she kept out there, shoved in the corner, and bundled up against the chill before letting her mind wander. She just couldn’t stop thinking of that beautiful ballad Hak had sung earlier. How it made her heartache at the words themselves and for her own emotions she felt weaved into them, until she found herself humming the tune to herself.

Humming soon lead to whispered words, and from there she soon found herself softly singing into the night as she changed some of the lyrics along the way;

“Black is the colour of my true love's hair

His face so stern yet He’s always there

He has the purest eyes and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon he stands

I love my love, but he’ll never know

I love the ground whereon he goes

How I wish that day would soon come

When he and I can be as one

I think of his pain and I mourn and weep

For without his smile I’d never sleep

I have no letters not even one line

But still in my heart I wish he were mine

Black is the colour of my true love's hair

His face so stern yet He’s always there

He has the purest eyes and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon he stands

I love the ground whereon he stands

I love, I love, I love the ground whereon he stands. . .”

{*****}

To be Continued

{*****}


	2. Chapter 2

After throwing together whatever he could find left in the fridge and the cupboard, Hak decided it was about time to head back upstairs and finish working on his song so that he could call it a night. Surprisingly enough, he found doing nothing all day actually made him more tired than the days he was most busy.

“I should get Gramps to help kick me back into shape on Saturday” he muttered as he finished cleaning up the mess he had made. He knew Gramps would do more than just ‘get him back in shape’ and was more likely to work him to the bone as soon as he got back home either way. Love him as he did, Gramps was a hard teacher and did not tolerate laziness. This is what had led to Hak’s daily excursions over to Yona’s when they were kids so that he could sneak in a midday nap in one of the trees in her backyard.

Yes, he would regret this decision, but screw it, hard training is what he was used to and by now he was damn good at taking the punishing workouts in stride. And he knew they paid off.

He often pretended not to notice, but he was pretty popular among the female population on campus. He found it amusing when they would try and whisper to each other and sneak glances at him, hoping he didn’t notice, but other than that, he paid them no mind.

He had already given his heart away a long time ago without ever expecting anything to come of it, and so he left it at that, convincing himself that this was how things were and that he was content for it to stay that way.

Done with the task at hand, he rinsed his hands and started to make his way back to his room when he passed the front door and noticed an extra pair of shoes that hadn’t been there before. Looking more closely he recognised them to be Yona’s.

‘She must have snuck in while I was busy getting something to eat’ he thought to himself as he started to make his way upstairs.

‘Wonder why she’s home already?’ He had thought, she wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow afternoon.

As he reached the top floor, he made his way over to Yona’s room and gently knocked on the door. He planned to ask her why she was home already and make sure she at least took off her makeup and brushed her teeth before she crashed out.

It wouldn’t be the first time he had found her passed out somewhere odd, waking up with eyes blurry from makeup having been smushed into them until she practically looked like a racoon. And while he did find it amusing, by now it was also just a habit of his to check up on her before he went to sleep.

He had spent so many years by her side, always looking after her, and after her father had passed away, many nights holding her close as she cried herself to sleep. Before he knew it, he found himself checking up on her every night.

Making sure she was alright before he could rest easy.

He sighed as he gently knocked on the door again.

When no answer came, he quietly cracked open the door and took a step inside.

Her stuff was strewn about her bed and floor but Yona herself was nowhere in sight. Slightly worried for a moment, he took a few more steps inside to look around before he heard the sound of her voice coming from the balcony.

Mentally, he kicked himself for being so overly paranoid for her well being. Of course she was fine, she was always fine.

As he began to make his way over to the balcony to ask her what she was doing home so early, he stopped suddenly in his tracks upon hearing what exactly it was she was saying to herself outside this late.

Or rather, what she was singing.

He recognised the tune almost instantly.

As he should, he supposed considering he himself had been singing it not too long ago.

Nevertheless, he was frozen stiff at the realization that she was singing the song he had written. She must have come home earlier than he thought and heard him through the wall that separated their rooms.

‘Idiot!’ he mentally cursed at himself.

He couldn’t tell if he hoped to god that she didn’t recognise it was about her, or if he hoped she did just for the sake that she wouldn’t think that he was in love with someone else.

That was the last thing he needed right before going home with her for the holidays.

Just as he was considering breaking his guitar for all the trouble it seemed to have just caused him, he was brought out of his morbid thoughts when he noticed something different about the song she was singing.

It was different.

She had changed the lyrics he had written at certain points, replacing the pronouns so that she sang of a man rather than a woman. Not only that, but other parts were changed as well, as she sang of never writing any letters of love but wishing that ‘He’ was hers all the same.

He almost blushed at the vain hope that she had changed the lyrics to be about him, as she sang that “Black” was the colour of her love's hair. Black. Not red.

Despite none of their male acquaintances having black hair. Dark brown maybe, but not black oddly enough, seeing how common the hair colour usually was.

But he stamps the thought away. There were plenty of people she could have met on campus over the last few months who could have black hair that none of them even knew. It was stupid to think that it could be about himself. After all, they’d been childhood friends for so long and she’d never shown any sign of sharing the same feelings he had for her. Right now, the main focus was to at least figure out if she realised his version had been about _her_ , as that was his real concern at this point.

Thinking on his feet, he decided that the best way to figure this out would be his old tried and true fallback; tease her until she tells him what’s on her mind out of sheer annoyance.

Hey what worked, worked, in his mind.

As she finished up singing the last few notes, he began making his way over to the sliding doors that lead to the small balcony, leaning against the open doorway before saying in a mild but slightly mocking tone,

“It’s a bit cold out to be singing to the stars don’t you think?”

{*****}

Startled at the sound of Hak’s voice suddenly coming from the doorway, Yona spun around so violently in her chair that she managed to overbalance herself and flip the stupid thing onto its side.

Grabbing hold of her blanket, which had managed to smother her face as she toppled over, she chucked the thing into his face as Hak laughed at her bewildered appearance.

“Easy there Princess, otherwise we’ll have to raise the height of the railings just to make sure you don’t go falling off them” he chuckled, his laughter finally dying down.

“I told you to stop calling me Princess already, it's embarrassing! And I’m fine by the way, thanks for asking” she grumbled in response.

“Oh come on, you fell barely one foot onto a blanket. You’re fine. But onto more important questions, what are you doing back here already? I thought you were staying over at Lili’s” he asked as he helped her back onto her chair.

“Lili had to cancel because she’s sick, so I stayed at the coffee shop studying until it closed then came back here”.

“So what does singing have to do with studying for law?” he said with an eyebrow raised.

Blushing at the reminder that he had caught her singing, she quickly stammered out, “I-I was having a hard time sleeping because my mind is still spinning from studying for hours on end. I’m not going to be productive at this point anyway, so I figured I’d come out here for some fresh air to try and clear my head before trying to sleep again. . .”

“That still doesn’t answer my question, so let me try asking another one; when did you become so musically inclined? Because funnily enough, that tune sounded oddly familiar” he said, with a rather sarcastic tone and a pointed look in her direction.

“Ok, ok stop with the round-a-bout questions, yes I overheard you singing when I came in and I just really liked it, ok? You don’t often let me hear you sing – “.

He looked away at that.

“—So, I stayed quiet and listened because I knew you’d stop if you thought I was listening. It’s really good though. I think it’s beautiful” she said, trying on a sweet smile in an attempt to distract him from the fact that she had just admitted to eavesdropping.

Lucky for her, she could have sworn she saw a slight blush spread across his cheeks for a moment and mentally cheered for her little victory.

“Well, before one of my fingers freezes off, why don’t we make some hot cocoa before going to sleep? Yun’s not here, but I know where he hides the cocoa powder” he said, a small conspiratorial smile coming to his face.

That smile, the same smile she couldn’t sleep without.

Giving him a small, grateful expression in return and extending her hands for him to pull her up out of her chair, they both headed back down to the kitchen to make their late-night treat.

True to his word, Hak knew where Yun hid the cocoa. In hindsight, you would think a genius like Yun would think of a better hiding place than the top shelf behind the extra cans of food they kept up there.

Especially considering at least four out of the seven of them were rather tall.

Then again, they all knew the real reason Yun probably hid it was to keep it away from Zeno. That boy had a sweet enough tooth for all of them and could have a sugar rush strong enough to give you nightmares and cleaning the house out for a week after just to take care of the aftermath.

Grabbing them two mugs and the milk out of the fridge while Hak grabbed the cocoa, Yona quickly filled their mugs and started to heat them up before propping herself up on the kitchen counter while Hak leaned against the sink as they waited for the microwave to beep.

Once it did and they had heaped as much chocolatey goodness as they could conceivably get away with without Yun noticing too much was gone, they headed back up to Yona’s little balcony, stopping along the way to grab a spare camp chair for Hak.

Once they had set up their chairs and wrapped the large blanket around themselves with their hot mugs in hand, Yona finally felt her mind starting to unwind.

Friday would be tough, but as long as she studied as hard as she did today and got a good night’s sleep, she’d be fine.

“Feeling sleepy yet?” Hak asked, into the comfortable silence.

“Not quite yet, it’s too nice a night to fall asleep just yet” she replied. It was a clear night and she loved to hear the sound of the wind, but as she stifled a yawn he chuckled softly again.

“Whatever you say, Princess”.

“I told you, I’m not a Princess so stop calling me that,” she said in the most serious voice she could muster, yet it still came out more playful than she intended.

Truthfully, it didn’t bother her as much now as it did when they were kids. If anything it made her feel that much closer to him, but she wasn’t about to let him know that.

“Too late, you’ll always be a little Princess to me. But you’re my Princess so it's ok” he said without missing a beat.

She took a last sip from her mug to try and hide her blush. He truly had no idea what he could do to her with just a few words, did he?

“Well if I’m your Princess then what does that make you? My knight?” she launched back, once she was sure her face was no longer bright red.

“Nah, that sounds too wimpy, knights are always getting eaten by dragons and that just won’t do. I’m just your bodyguard because it’s my job to make sure little Princesses don’t get themselves into too much trouble” he said grinning as he poked her on the forehead.

She swatted his hand away with an exasperated expression as he laughed at her expense once again, yet she found herself giggling along with him too not long after.

Once they were both done laughing and had finished their drinks, Yona felt her head begin to droop as the long day finally began to catch up with her.

Just as she began to slide down in her chair though, she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulders and tug her back up towards a warm shoulder. Resting her head against him, Yona sighed contentedly before half-heartedly trying to tell him she was fine and that she wasn’t that tired.

Ignoring her, Hak simply wrapped her up in the blanket before hoisting her up and carrying her back inside to her bed.

She hadn’t even realised how cold it had been outside until they stepped through the sliding doors and were hit with a blast of warm air to their frozen cheeks.

As Hak gently lay her down on the bed, still wrapped up in the blanket, he quietly went about closing and locking the door before he began to turn off the lights as she snuggled down deeper into her pillows.

When he had finished, he softly padded over and stroked her hair before wishing her goodnight and quietly closing the door behind him as he made his way back to his own bed next door.

With hot chocolate still warm in her belly, and with the lingering feeling of Hak’s fingers still stroking her hair it wasn’t long before she was fast asleep.

{*****}

As he padded his way sleepily down the hall back towards his own room, Hak thought about everything that had just happened.

Based on how she reacted to his questions it didn’t seem like she realised the song was about her and for the sake of his own heart he didn’t have it in him to ask about the lyrics she had changed.

After that, well. . . after that had been just what he’d needed really. After being bored home alone all day and after the near heart attack he had when he first heard her singing the song he had written, a quiet late-night camp out on the balcony really did help set things back to normal.

There was no awkwardness when they did stuff like that, just the two of them. They had known each other so long it was like second nature, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin that kind of comfortable companionship they found in each other by pushing things with her too hard.

He was happy with the way things were, he told himself, and at the very least, was just happy that Yona was happy.

She meant the world to him so as long as she was ok, he would be just fine too.

Yet he couldn’t help the way his heart had thudded in his chest when he caught the small blush on her face after he’d called her his little Princess. She had tried to hide it, but he was too observant for that.

Couldn’t help the way his heart had strained at the sound of her sigh of contentment and the small smile on her face when he’d stroked her hair and wished her goodnight.

Yes, she was his Princess, and he would do anything for her, as long as it meant he could stay by her side. And with these thoughts and images filling his mind, he too quickly found himself passing out as soon as his head hit his pillow.

Tomorrow, he’d help her study for her last exam and pack for their trip back home.

{*****}

To be Continued

{*****}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, thanks for reading this far. I do plan on trying to write and continue this fairly consistently, so we’ll see how it goes. Thank you to those who left lovely comments and/or favourited this story. Any kind of review is always appreciated and motivating, as I love to hear what I can do to improve.  
> The plan is from here, that I’ll continue to write but some updates may just be me going back and changing/improving a few things in previous chapters before I move on in the story.  
> Hope you guys enjoy this!


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Yona concluded that waking up early in the morning sucked.

There was nothing fun about dragging yourself out of a wonderfully warm blanket cocoon at god knows what hour, just to drag your feet along the cold floor to jump in a shower that hadn’t even warmed up yet either.

The only good thing about waking up this early in the morning is getting the kitchen all to herself so she could get out her secret stash of waffles and eat in peace.

Usually, mornings around the house were chaos as everyone went about trying to get ready and fighting over who ate what and just to find space to breathe as the seven of them went about their usual routines.

With this small, but enticing motivation in mind, she slowly trudged downstairs and shuffled her way over to the freezer to root through the back, hair still dripping water down the back of her shirt.

She always made sure to keep her favourite foods hidden at the back of either the fridge, freezer or cupboard, otherwise just hoarding her favourite snacks in her room. Living with 6 young men made you learn quickly that if you didn’t want anyone else eating it, don’t leave it plain sight.

Most often the guys couldn’t be asked to root though anything too much and would just grab the closest thing they could reach –minus Yun of course, as he was fond of cooking in his free time and had quickly learned the same lesson, hence the secret cocoa excursion she and Hak had endeavoured the other night.

Shaking her head away from the thoughts of last night, she continued to root through boxes of frozen food and stray ice cubes before finding what she was looking for. Pulling out two frozen waffles she popped them in the toaster and went about pouring herself a glass a milk.

It was times like this when staying awake to do work was hardest, that she rued the fact that she couldn’t stand the taste of coffee. She loved the smell of it, yet no matter how much sugar or milk she added she couldn’t help but find the drink far too bitter for her tastes. So instead, she resorted to sugar over caffeine to keep her awake otherwise just drinking tea.

It didn’t always work that well, she’d admit, but anything to help her stay awake was better than nothing.

After the toaster popped and she’d smothered her breakfast in whatever syrup Zeno had left them, she dug in and savoured the sweet taste of her secret breakfast treat and the quiet morning to herself.

That was the one other thing she supposed wasn’t so bad about waking up so early.

At this time of day, most other people hadn’t woken up yet either and she could enjoy the peaceful sounds emanating from the surrounding forest that lay just behind their townhouse.

She often enjoyed working with her windows open allowing the fresh air and bird calls to fill her room. Being near the woods made her feel more at ease and the breeze helped to keep her focused. Too often, she found that if she was stuck in a room with stagnant air or too much silence she wasn’t able to get comfortable or focus, thus along with her little camp chair she kept on her balcony, she had a small collapsible table that she could prop up whenever the weather was nice enough to allow her the luxury of working outside.

After rinsing off and putting her dishes away, she started to head back upstairs and get dressed before she sat down for more gruelling hours of going over messy notes. At least the morning weather promised to be good enough that today would be one of the days where she could get out her little fold out desk area to use.

Because 6 am was a not a fun time to be conscious, she concluded.

By the time it was around 11:00 am, Yona had managed to re-write a few notes neater, organise her binder and get in a good amount of textbook reading before her brain was once again screaming at her to take a break.

Throwing down the notes she was holding onto her little table, she took the time to stretch and lay her head back, as she knew she only had a long day of stressful yet boring reading ahead of her and likely wouldn’t get much time to move about.

Feeling her joints crack one by one as she arched her back after being sat stiffy for hours, she started to hear shuffling coming from inside the house.

‘Hak must finally be up’ she thought. ‘Probably on his way to Sojutsu practice’

Sojutsu was a type of Japanese martial art that focused around spear fighting, and while Hak practised and was very skilled in many forms of martial arts thanks to Mundok, Sojutsu was one of his favourites.

Especially when it meant he got to break out his Guan Dao.

While the Guan Dao wasn’t exactly a spear, it was like one and still a polearm weapon, so a lot of the moves and training could be transposed. Mundok had given it to him as a leaving home present last year and it was his most prized possession. Most often he kept it locked away safely in his room instead of leaving it at the dojo where he usually practised. It was his own weapon and he did not fancy the thought of some inexperienced kid finding it there and having a test run flinging it about.

As she continued to think about her days with the ever excitable, yet loving Mundok while at Hak’s place, she made her way back down to the kitchen to stretch her legs for a bit get and get something to drink before going back upstairs and leaning against the railing of her balcony.

Ignoring her notes fluttering in the breeze, this was just what she needed. A cool breeze in the sun, no noise albeit the birds and the house to herself to keep her focused as she worked.

That is, until she heard the door to their small back yard open and close.

Not the front door.

Looking down into the backyard, she saw Hak was his aforementioned weapon in hand in his workout clothes as he began to warm up for a sparring sequence.

“Why isn’t he at the campus dojo?” she muttered softly to herself before realising that it probably wasn’t open seeing as it was technically still exam time even if he had already finished all of his own.

Taking another sip of her drink she leaned over further on the railing to watch as he practised.

As always, Hak was incredible to watch when he practised sparring.

Like a whirlwind, he could whip around with that heavy blade as if it were nothing more than a mere extension of his arm.

An extension of his very being.

Kicking high and thrusting out with the butt of the polearm at an imaginary foe, she had no doubt in her mind that if he had to, Hak could easily kill a man. He was so quick it seemed near inhuman.

No wonder his friends at the dojo had given him the nickname the ‘Thunder Beast’.

Because thunder comes even before lightning can strike.

Over and over again he practised the same sequences; thrusting, kicking, slicing and so forth before he went over to grab a bottle of water he had dumped on the ground, drinking deeply before heading back to the centre of the yard.

By now Yona could even recognise a few sequences and guess which moves he would make next. She had watched him practice enough times with his cousins Han-Dae and Tae-Woo when they were kids and never tired of watching how adeptly they moved despite the weight of their weapons.

Just as he finished up what she recognised to be his last sequence and she started to push away from the railing to get back to studying, Yona was stopped at the sudden and jarring sound of Hak stamping his weapon against the ground.

Three times, he stamped the butt of the pole to the ground in a rhythmic beat as if counting himself in, before he began what she could only describe to be a true testament to his skill.

Like quicksilver, he whipped up the blade and began to spin it with death defying accuracy around himself until it appeared he was encompassed in an impenetrable bubble of pure steel. Crossing over his body from one hand to the next, spinning himself around in a tight circle as his blade spun around his torso before grabbing it again and circling it over his head and striking down in a harsh arc that could send even the bravest men running in fear.

This was like nothing she had ever seen him practice before.

It seemed like he had simply tired of all the lessons he’d learned from others and decided to push himself to see how far his skills with a weapon could truly go.

Over and under he spun the polearm from hand to the other.

Never stopping.

Never hesitating.

Never faltering.

It was mesmerizing to watch. Like staring into the eye of a hurricane.

And just like that, as quick as it had begun, it was over with a final sweep of his blade across the yard, rendering a single stray branch from one of the nearby trees falling to the ground as it was severed with one clean cut.

Before he could look up and catch her spying, Yona quickly crept back inside and headed to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

She was blushing like mad. She knew she was and she needed to clear her head of such distractions immediately if she had any hope left of doing well on her exam tomorrow.

Yet. . .

Nope.

Nope, nope, nope! She needed to clear her mind. Study! Studying was the only thing she should be thinking about right now, she chastised herself.

Not of attractive young men practically dancing with a weapon as sweat beaded their brow.

Oh, how feelings could make a mess of the mind when the object of said feelings just so casually put on a show that would send any of the other girls on campus reeling.

‘Stupid Hak’ she muttered as mopped her face dry on a towel.

{*****}

Sighing, Hak grabbed the towel he had thrown onto the grass beside his water bottle before resting his weapon against a tree.

He had worked up a good sweat after practising his weaponry sequences for so long. Plus it had been a while since he had gotten the chance to use his Guan Dao again and while he was well accustomed to its weight, it was still a workout just carrying the thing around for most people. Often, they just practised with wooden weapons in lieu of live steel at the dojo just to make sure there were no accidents.

Gramps, on the other hand, had always thought that to be a waste of time saying, “If you’re training to use a blade, why practice with anything less than a real blade?!”

Looking down he could still see the slight scar where he’s nearly lopped off his own foot by mistake thanks to that kind of teaching method as a young kid.

Oh well, he’d learned well from Gramps’ teaching and he wasn’t about to be ungrateful for that given where it had helped him to get now.

And while he enjoyed learning new techniques and moves from his teachers, what he really liked to do was get the time to himself when he could see what he could come up with and perfect on his own.

So far it had earned him a few more scars here and there along the way from accidents but by now he had just about gotten his own sequence down pact. His favourite moves where often the ones with a bit more technique involved instead of simple, sweeping arcs, and maybe that was the show off in him, but when it came to tournaments, he always came out on top.

In fact, he was unbeatable within their regional competitions.

Moping his brow of sweat and chunking his now empty water bottle by the back door, he grabbed his Guan Dao to put it away carefully in his room before heading off to have a well-earned shower.

Once he was clean and no longer reeked of sweat, he headed upstairs to check in and see how Yona was doing and see if she needed any help with her studying. He had taken law as an extra class just for the hell of it in his first year and had done rather well, so he figured he should offer some help where he could.

As he reached the end of the hall where her room was, he lightly rapped on the door with his knuckles and waited for a muffled ‘come in!’ before entering her room.

Once he was inside, he had to stifle a laugh as he found Yona lying down on the floor of her balcony with her feet propped up on her chair and a book resting on her face, arms spread akimbo in defeat.

Yup. Just as he’d expected, she was headed towards burnout mode where her brain was about to give up on her whether she wanted to keep studying or not.

It was time for him to step in and help out.

“So” he started, “How long have you been at it for?”

A grumbled muttering of something unintelligible was the only response he got.

“What was that?” he tried again, a grin now plastering his face at the amusing sight.

“five hours, give or take” she mumbled, however this time it was somewhat clear enough to make out.

“Ouch, want some help before your brain starts to melt?”

“If you have any suggestions on how to get this stuff to stay in my head before tomorrow I’m all ears.”

“Well then, hand over the textbook, put on some shoes and follow me.”

That got her attention.

Peeking out from under her book with an eyebrow raised in suspicion she asked a tentative, “Why?”

“You’ll see if you hurry up. Now come on, I’ve already been through my punishment of exams, we’ll make sure you get through the last of yours. I’ll meet you downstairs, don’t keep me waiting if you want my help” he replied.

And with that, he picked up the book from off her face and started to head to his room to grab a jacket. As he did so, he was greeted with the sound of feet thudding across the wooden floors as Yona scrambled to get ready and follow him.

He chuckled at this as he made his way down to the front door to grab his shoes, Yona only a few feet behind and eager to get out of the house after being stuck sitting around all day. It was only just gone 12 by this point so they had plenty of time to grab something to eat along the way and help her study before coming home and getting an early night.

With that in mind, they headed on their way.

{*****}

After following Hak down the pathways in the woods for about 15 minutes, still without a clue where they were going or what they were doing, Yona had had enough.

“Hak, come on! Can you at least tell me where we’re going? I don’t even recognise where we are anymore!”

“Stop complaining Princess we’re almost there anyway, its just past this stream here. All we gotta do is cross it and we’re there.”

“We’re where?” she whined.

Chuckling at her frustration he simply grabbed her hand in his and lead her down the steep river bank so that they could hop from stones and logs to the other side of the shallow little stream that softly babbled away.

At first, she gave him a hesitant look at crossing the stream, but taking the lead and showing her which places were safe to step, she soon forgot her frustration as a sense of fun and adventure overtook her.

Once they made it to the other side, Hak showed her where an old rope was hidden amongst the fallen leaves and used it to climb up onto the other side of the bank before reaching back down to help pull her up.

Clasping hands, with one quick tug she was up and out on the other side only to be met with the most beautiful little woodland area she had ever seen.

A tiny waterfall ran over the edge of a stack of rocks that lead down to the stream they had just crossed and around their feet within the bed of dead leaves and moss that carpeted the ground a small clearing could be found with a large boulder serving as a centrepiece to it all. The trees that surrounded the little area were large and old. The kind that made you think of forgotten lands and histories untold and the wonder of it all made Yona have to take a step back just to take it all in.

Hak smiled brightly at the look of awe on her face as he led her over to a large willow that rested just beside the little waterfall.

“How did you know that this place existed?” she asked, still looking around starry-eyed with a grin plastered on her face as she went over to watch a leaf run down into the near freezing stream below.

“I found it while making my way through the woods during my first year. I had just finished off my run when the sun came out that morning and I decided to do a bit of exploring and low and behold I found this little spot. Since then its been my own little hideout whenever I needed a break and seeing as you seemed like you really needed one right now, I thought I’d share it with you” He explained.

Feeling touched that he’d share something as special as this with her, she walked past him to sit by the running water and avoid him noticing the look on her face. It was little things like this that had sent her falling for him and she didn’t want to give that away by looking like one of those air-headed, love-struck girls she saw around campus.

Instead she said, “Thank you, I really love it here. No wonder you come here to escape, it's so peaceful.”

“Only thing is, by showing you this, you have to promise not to tell anyone else about it. The last thing I need is for Droopy Eyes to find out and come to disrupt any remaining peace I can find” he replied.

She grinned at the thought.

She loved Jae-ha as much as she loved the rest of their friends and she couldn’t help but find it terribly amusing how easily the man could get under Hak skin.

“Well, as much as I appreciate the beautiful view, how exactly is this supposed to help me study for law again?” she asked, only just remembering why they were there in the first place.

“Let’s take a moment to check off the list, shall we? One, you’re sick of sitting around all day, right?”

She nodded.

“Two, you need help in this subject and I already took this course so I can help test you, so we can see where you need to focus your energy studying”.

Another nod, and he smiled.

“And three, you need a better way of studying than just re-reading notes, and for that, I had an idea. I’m going to give you a situation and you tell me what laws come into account, how they are affected, what charges may apply and how you would judge the situation based on the information given. For every mistake you make, you have to do a punishment exercise. That way you’ll remember the answer to the mistake you made when you recall which exercise you hated the most” he finished, his grin now impish in nature as he thought of consequence tasks.

Glaring at him because she knew whatever he had in mind for a task was probably going to be brutal and exhausting, she took a deep breath, mentally reminded herself that she needed his help, and agreed to try his studying idea.

And so, as Hak sat down, leaning against an old oak as she stood and paced around, he began giving her situation after situation. While most she got right, for the answers she got wrong he’d make her do things like answer the next questions while hanging from a tree branch or planking until she got the next answer right. By the time it was time to head home and grab something to eat, they had been at it for hours and Yona was sore all over but feeling a lot more confident about her exam the next day.

Hak had been right, the things she remembered most now, were the answers she got wrong and their corrections in correlation to which punishment task she hated the most.

For the record; planking. Planking was the worst.

Especially when the ground was so cold and still covered in a thin layer of frost from the morning.

As they started to head back down the forest paths and towards the sidewalk, Hak suggested they grab some ice cream as a reward (despite both of them shivering a little by now).

Agreeing, they headed over to the small convenience store on the corner and picked up a couple of ice creams before heading back home.

By the time they got there, they had finished their frozen treats and were now thoroughly cold inside and out but still satisfied with their choice as they headed inside to get warm.

“If you’re feeling better about your exam tomorrow why don’t you take a break by packing for home. We’ll leave as soon as you’ve finished sitting your exam so if you pack now we’ll be able to get on the road earlier and hopefully miss the traffic” said Hak, as he headed to the kitchen to make them both a quick dinner.

Pasta again, but who cares, it was easy to make, tasted good and most importantly; warm.

“Sounds like a good idea, I’ll get started on that now then, call me when foods ready!”

“Sure thing Princess!” he called back, snickering at her grumbling in response to the nickname.

{*****}

To be Continued

(*****}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading this far. For those of you questioning the name of Hak’s weapon I did some research and the closest thing in terms of stylistic choices, size and general look of the blade Hak’s weapon of choice most strongly resembles a Guan Dao. While in the dub of the anime he refers to it as a glaive, a glaive while very similar, isn’t as broad nor does it have the extra point/barb in the right place. Either way, call it what you like but that is my understanding of the weapon.  
> For a cool video on someone giving a tutorial on how to use this weapon check this out!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8VGiQJ_3VQ   
> Hak's self made fighting sequence was inspired by both his fight against the fire tribe and the amazing animation gif done by Hn_fkg   
> https://twitter.com/hn_fkg/status/801118685532303360  
> Sorry this chapter was less fluffy, I promise the next ones will be more fun!


	4. Chapter 4

As Yona rushed up the stairs to go change into her warmest Pjs, she mentally went over all the areas she had managed to cover studying that day. With Hak’s help, she was relieved that she was now pretty sure she could get away with a mid-eighty tomorrow, so long as she kept a cool head while writing the exam.

After she finished changing and pulled on her fluffiest socks she flopped back on her bed for a moment to catch her breath, sending two of her pillows falling to the floor.

Despite all the hard work, she had actually had a good day. She felt more confident in her knowledge, got to explore a new part of the forest and best of all; just spend some time alone together with one of her longest and dearest friends.

Days like this seemed far too rare in more recent times. Each one seeming to be fewer and further between the next.

She would have to get Hak a really good present this year for Christmas, to say thank you for everything he had done for her. Not just today either, for everything he had done for her this year. For comforting her and staying right by her side after the death of her father, never mind offering her his home as a place to stay.

For always looking after her, growing up. For being, well, _him_.

The only problem was, Hak was always exceedingly hard to buy for.

He was one of those people that never seemed to want anything, and more often than not just asked for whatever practical thing he needed at the time for a present over something for fun.

Maybe on the drive back to Mundok’s she’d have enough time to think of something good. Right now, she just needed to get some hot food in her belly so she could call it a night and go to sleep. All those consequence exercises just about drained her of any energy she had left for the night, never mind the long walk back home afterword.

Until dinner was ready, she might as well get started on packing.

Mustering up whatever remaining energy she had left, she heaved herself off of her bed and practically rolled onto the floor before shuffling over to her closet to look for her bag.

It was an old and simple thing, worn at the edges, a bit dirty, but it had been on many childhood excursions and lived to tell the tale and for that reason alone, she kept the old thing around if only for memories sake.

Now that she was at university however, it worked well enough to pack enough clothes and other small things for making short trips to friend’s places or for going back home.

Pulling down shirts and sweaters from their hangers and throwing in a few pairs of pants and undergarments onto the floor before neatly folding and packing them away, Yona made her way over to her nightstand to grab one more thing before she’d dump her bag by the door.

Carefully sliding open the bottom drawer and reaching to the very back, she pulled out a small piece of cloth, neatly wrapped around her little treasure.

It was a small shard of Lapis Lazuli that she had found while rock pooling with Hak when they were kids. A lucky find if ever there was any. At the time she had quickly squirrelled away her find in the pocket of her skirt so that she could keep the little treasure to herself and not risk Hak teasing her by taking it out of her reach and making her jump to get it back.

She rolled her eyes at the memory, knowing full well that the same thing would probably still happen had she found the thing today. She guessed neither of them had changed that much, and yet in many other ways, they each had.

They’d grown up.

And that changes everything.

No longer carefree, now they had their futures to think about, less time for rock pools, more time spent proof-reading essays and endless nights finishing off assignments last minute.

She liked to keep the shard around as a reminder of those days where the world held nothing but adventure. It made her heart feel less constrained.

Just as she finished tucking it into the small inner zip pocket of her bag, she heard the distinct call of;

“Stretch or starve Princess, dinner’s done!” coming from downstairs.

“Coming!” she yelled in back, as she hitched the strap of her bag up on her shoulder and made her way down, dumping it by the front door as she made her way into the kitchen.

{*****}

“All finished packing then?” Hak asked as he set their dinner down on the table before grabbing himself a drink from the fridge and tossing Yona one as she sat perched on the edge of her chair.

“Yup! All ready with my bag by the door” she replied, back to her usual spirits.

He was glad to see she was doing well, even with all the anxiety he was sure she must be feeling about tomorrow, but they’d studied together and while she made mistakes here and there, she knew her stuff.

He had full faith in her that she’d do well on the exam and was just pleased to see she seemed to have gotten that into her head too.

With that in mind, he joined her at the table as they both dug into their dinner, happy to have a hot meal as they warmed their hand on the sides of their steaming bowls.

Just then however, their peaceful meal was interrupted by the sound of someone fumbling with the lock on the front door before the ever-grinning Droopy Eyes, walked through.

Inwardly, he sighed, already trying to keep his tolerance for the man in check.

“Seems I may have interrupted something, should I head back out?” he asked, smirk already set in place as he glanced over at Hak who was giving him his usual, unamused expression.

“Welcome back Jae-ha! We were just getting ourselves some dinner before crashing out. Where have you been all day?” Yona asked, ever happy to see one of her housemates and friends.

“Yona dear! I thought you were supposed to be staying over at Lili’s before your exam, ah well, always good to see your lovely face around the house. As for me, I’ve been a little bit of here there and everywhere” Jae-ha replied, with a wink as he ruffled her hair and made his way over to the fridge.

Insufferable flirt as he was, and while he could be intolerable to the guys with some of the antics he pulled, at least he was a polite enough to the ladies, if albeit of a suck up, Hak supposed. He was trying to remind himself that the man did, in fact, have _some_ redeeming qualities every now and then.

Ultimately, no matter how annoying and nosy he got, all that mattered to him was that he could count on the guy when it really mattered, and he had proven himself worth that much at least when he had helped look out for Yona, way back at the beginning of the year. He had helped her escape some rather sleazy looking frat boys that had managed to corner one afternoon, right when Hak himself, had been stuck in a lecture, unaware of the danger she had been in until he had come home and she had told him what had happened.

“Never one, to stay in one place for long are you? Come and join us, I think there’s some more pasta left over in the pot” Yona said, using her foot to nudge out one of the extra chairs around the table as she got up to grab him a bowl.

“Don’t mind if I do” Jae-ha replied as he sat down in the spot beside hers and across from Hak.

Once Yona returned with another bowl in hand, she placed it down in front of Jae-ha before sitting down and resuming her own meal.

“So, I guess you two are off tomorrow, then are you?” he asked.

“Ya, are you sure you don’t want to join us?” Yona replied.

“Nah, I wouldn’t want to intrude. Plus, I rather like the idea of getting the house to myself for a while, maybe throw a Christmas party or two –”

“Top floor is off limits. I don’t need anyone coming up and trashing our room while I’m gone, and you better have this place habitable by the time everyone comes back, or Yun will have your head” Hak interrupted before he could finish.

“Yes, yes I know, I’ll have it looking just like it usually does by the time everyone comes back, cross my heart and hope to die” He replied with a teasing smile as he mimed the pledge by drawing an imaginary “X” over his heart.

Giving him only a dubious look in return, Hak simply went back to finishing his meal before getting up to wash his bowl and dumping it in the dishwasher.

“Well, I better finish packing my own stuff before we head out tomorrow, you should probably get an early night Princess, so all that studying doesn’t go to waste, no staying up and cramming alright?” He said giving her a stern look.

“Ya, ya I’ll be sure to head in for the night once I’m done here” she replied, standing up to wash out her own bowl.

As she finished she called out a quick “Night Jae-ha!” with a smile and a small wave.

“Good-night Yona dear, good luck tomorrow, I’m sure you’ll do great”

“Thanks!” she said with a final wave as she headed upstairs to bed.

“Make sure to put the dishwasher on when you’re done bro, last time you forgot and we had to turn it on and hand wash everything in the morning,” Hak said as a way of final greeting before heading upstairs himself, hearing little more than a chuckle and a faint “Will do” echo up the stairs behind him.

Once he was back in his room he made his way over to his bed and dug out his old backpack from underneath before shovelling a few piles of clothes and things he wanted to drop off at home, inside.

The last thing he always packed was his guitar.

He didn’t trust Droopy Eyes not to mess around with it while he was gone, to show off to a girl and end up scratching the thing. It had happened before, he thought back ruefully.

As he went over to the closet to try and look for the soft case he usually kept for it in there, he stopped to kick some of his roommate’s crap over onto into the corner and out of the way, before returning to pick up his guitar and recline on his bed.

His usual nighttime routine included practicing a few chords and lines to unwind before he crashed out. It really did seem to help him sleep, as he was a light sleeper to begin with and usually had a hard time falling asleep.

And as he lay back to lean against the headboard of his bed, he was brought back to yesterday night, where he had sat and played, just as he did every other night, but with a song he dared not show anyone else.

At least on purpose, as it seemed that hadn’t bit exactly gone to plan.

Yet, three floors up he knew Droopy Eyes wouldn’t hear a thing, likely already crashed out on the sofa in front of the tv in the living room, and so he found himself strumming the same tune as before, humming the lyrics softly as he let his mind wander.

She hadn’t known it was about her, but she had said she loved it all the same.

Why not for the both of them, send themselves off to sleep with the sound of a lovesick lullaby filling their dreams? He thought as he let his fingers play on their own.

{*****)

As Yona finished setting her alarm for tomorrow and lay back to rest her head on her pillow and pull the covers up tightly to her chin, she heard the soft sound of music emanating from just next door.

It was the same song as last night, and as she sighed in contentment, letting the familiar, gentle melody take her away, she softly hummed her version of the lyrics before letting sleep take her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you once again for reading this far, and for everyone who’s taken the time to follow this story. I hope not to let you down!  
> In particular, I wanted to thank @punchagoddamnnazi from Tumblr.  
> Your ask was so encouraging, so if anything the motivation to get at least one more chapter out by this weekend was from you.  
> For reference, my Tumblr is: @wrath-of-dawn  
> I’ll probably take a break until at least the 10th or so (I have a shit ton of bio work due this week and on the Monday of the 9th) but I hope to make up for it by trying to make the next chapter longer. Usually, at a minimum I won’t put out a new chapter unless it’s at least around 2000 words long or so, because I know for myself, anything less than a thousand I usually don’t bother getting invested in. So hopefully we can get around 3000+ next chapter.   
> Reviews are always much appreciated, whatever you want to say!  
> Love you guys!


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Yona got up early, threw on the most comfortable outfit she could find that hadn’t already been packed away and headed downstairs to grab something to eat before making her way to her exam.

In the end, she felt it went fairly well. At worst, probably an 85 which would do little to lower her average, and at best, well. . . at best who knows? She could always hope, right?

Either way, she was just happy that her last exam of the semester was out of the way, so she could head home for the holidays. She couldn’t wait to get back and give Mundok and little Tae-yun a great big hug. By now they were as much her family as they were Hak’s and she missed them dearly already.

As she made her way back to the apartment she stopped by the coffee shop to grab her, Hak and Jae-ha some coffee. It was still early in the morning and Hak would likely not be up yet and they had a lot of driving ahead of them and she figured Jae-ha wouldn’t turn one down either way.

Between alcohol and coffee, sometimes she wondered if the guy even lived off of anything else.

Either way, she was glad for something warm to hold in her hands, as she rounded the corner to her street and a huge gust of chilly winter air sent her hood flying off her head and freezing her ears.

Yes, winter break was definitely underway already in mother natures eyes. She only hoped it’d be a safe drive back home. The last thing they needed was a blizzard making the roads more dangerous when they’d be stuck out there for at least 4 hours already.

As she finally walked in through the door and into their warm apartment she mentally made a note to insist that Hak let them take turns while driving to make the journey easier.

Shrugging off her Jacket she made her way upstairs to the boys’ room, coffees for them all in hand.

Luckily for her, the door wasn’t quite shut so she could use her foot to knock, before nudging it open, as her hands were father full.

In response to her announced entry, she received two groans and the rustle of sheets as the boys tried to ignore the light pouring into their room from the hallway.

“Rise and shine you two, I’m done my exams and we should be getting on the road before traffic hits,” she said, putting the coffee on top of the bedside table and making her way over to open the curtains.

More groaning ensued.

“Yona dear, as lovely as it is to see your sweet face in the morning, I believe that that only applies to Hak over there. So would you be so kind as to close the curtains, so I can go back to sleep?” Came the muffled voice of Jae-ha with his face smushed into a pillow and nearly drowning in his covers that he’d pulled up practically over his head.

“Oh come on, it’s a nice morning and I got you both coffee as a peace offering”

At the mention of coffee Jae-ha seemed to perk up a bit but only reached over until he could steal his cup and lean over to take a sip before burrowing back down under the covers.

Sighing in defeat Yona gave up on trying to wake up Jae-ha and made her way over to the other side of the room to see if she could at least wake up Hak.

While he loved to take naps and sleep in, _he_ at least, was a relatively light sleeper, so once he was awake he was pretty much up for the rest of the day.

Or at least until he decided to have a nap. Geez, for someone so fit, he sure could be lazy, she thought to herself.

Nearing the end of his bed, a wicked smile crossed her face as an idea came to her.

Quietly grabbing the ends of his covers, she was about to Yank them off and leave Hak to a horribly cold awakening when a muffled reply came from under the mound of blankets.

“Don’t even try it” he said, wrapping himself more in the blankets so he could use his own weight to help hold onto them.

“Oh, but I will if you don’t get out of bed,” She said, grin growing larger.

“Fine, go ahead Princess. See what happens”

With her hands fisted in the fabric, she did just that and gave a few solid yanks, as hard as she could, throwing her own weight into the mix.

He didn’t even budge.

“Haaaaak! Come on, you were the one who said we needed to leave right after I was done my exam! Well, I’m done now so move your butt so we can get going already!” she whined.

After a moment of silence and no movement from the bed, she decided it was time to resort to plan B.

“If you don’t get up soon, I’ll pour cold water on you” she sing-songed.

More silence, and then “You wouldn’t dare”.

“Oh but you see, I would,”

She could hear snickering coming from Jae-ha’s bed and at that Hak simply rolled over to face the wall and ignored them both.

“Fine, you asked for it though,” she said.

Making her way to the bathroom, she grabbed the cup they used to hold their toothbrushes and filled it just enough with cold water to dump on his head, but hopefully not soak his bed, otherwise they’d have to dry it afterwards.

As she made her way back over to Hak’s bed, there was a moment of tense silence as she readied herself to pour the water and make a mad dash for her room where she could lock the door behind her.

In a sense, she really was poking the bear with a stick right now, so precautions were necessary.

Three. Two. One

*Splash*

She poured the water right into his ear, not even bothering to hold onto the plastic cup as she chucked it on the floor and made for the door like a bat out of hell, meanwhile an extremely disgruntled growl came from behind as footsteps thudded angrily after her.

She just about had her hand on her door handle and was laughing to herself thinking she was home free before a hand grabbed her wrist.

Oh shit.

She was dead.

Tentatively glancing behind her, she didn’t bother holding in her laughter as she saw what appeared to be an angry, shivering. 6”2 man who looked like a wet cat with his hair dripping into his eyes and onto his shirt and PJ pants.

That is, it was funny until he swung her over his shoulder and started marching downstairs.

“Ok, ok! I’m sorry I threw water on you, but I warned you fair and square and you didn’t listen. Now put me down!” she yelled as she bounced awkwardly against his back, trying to prop herself up but to no avail.

“No problem. That’s exactly what I had in mind in fact” he said in return.

She couldn’t see his face, which made that sort of ominous remark even more concerning, never mind the pleasantness to it that promised revenge.

“Ok, so could you do that? All the blood is rushing to my head.”

“Oh, I’m not gonna put you down here. I have to return the favour first.” 

She went stiff.

Ah, shit. Sometimes she hated it when she was right.

“Hak,” she said slowly. “do not do, what I think you’re gonna do”.

“It’s only fair Princess,” he said in a sing-song voice of his own, finally showing the grin he’d been hiding as he opened the back door and dumped her outside, in only her socks, so she was standing in a massive pile of snow.

She screeched as he socks became wet and slush stuck to her pant legs making her positively freezing.

Now it was Hak’s turn to laugh, now fully awake as she ran passed him back inside, ripping her socks off and dragging snow in with her as she went and making sure to smack him on the shoulder on the way.

As she made her way back up to her room to change into some dry clothes, Hak, now much more awake and still with a grin on his face, trudged into the kitchen to pour himself a bowl of cereal and grab some paper towel to dry his still dripping hair.

{*****}

Shenanigans out of the way, it was nearing about 12:30 by the time they were ready and had finished backing Hak’s car up with their bags.

Yona had insisted on taking turns driving and that she would take her turn first, so Hak simply hopped into the front passenger seat and started rooting through whatever albums they had in the car to find something to listen to on the road.

Just as he pulled out an album to load into the stereo, Yona hopped into the driver seat and they were off.

Luckily because the holidays had already started, not many people were on the highway as they were already with their families or on vacation, meaning that was one less thing to deal with at least.

After about an hour into the drive, they had to stop and get gas as neither of them had thought to check how full a tank they had before they left, at which point they got some snacks and swapped turns.

The further north they got, the more miserable the weather became, making it a slow and boring drive. They had already gone through two CD’s during Yona’s turn, so as the one they were listening to wrapped up, she went looking through the other storage compartments to see if they had anything else left, otherwise it would have to be repeat or silence for the rest of the way. Neither of which were appealing options.

After coming up with nothing and huffing in defeat, Yona took a final check in the pocket on the back of her seat and pulled out a case.

Looking over, Hak recognised it immediately. It was the first album he, Jae-ha and the rest of their group had thrown together. Not necessarily his favourite but he was proud of it all the same and there were a few he had written that he was particularly fond of, which is why he kept a copy around.

Yona looked thrilled at her find.

“Oh, we are so listening to this! Why didn’t you tell me you had a copy of your stuff! We could have listened to it first!” She said, excitedly.

“It’s just some of our older songs, nothing to freak out over” he replied casually, though a fond smile came to his face at her excitement. He found it so adorable how much she supported their group and how excited she got every time they played. It made him look forward to it even more when he knew he’d get to look for her smiling face in the small crowd and give a wink or a nod her way which would send her beaming.

As she excitedly loaded the CD and turned up the volume, the first few chords of “The precipice”, one of the songs he had written started to fill the car.

“Ah yes! This is one of my favourites that you guys did” she told him, leaning back in her seat and propping her feet up on the dash.

“Why’s it your favourite?” he asked, curious to see what her answer would be.

“Because it’s one of the few songs you guys did where you were the one singing. Don’t get me wrong, the other guys are great too, but you hardly ever sing your own songs. I wish you would more often, I love your voice” she replied a matter-o-factly.

Now, _that_ threw him off guard. He knew she liked to hear him sing. She told him all the time, but he figured it was just because he didn’t do it very often and she found it amusing to hear him instead of the others in the group. . . Not that it was his voice in particular, that she loved to hear the most.

A blush started to bloom across his face, so he quickly changed the subject.

“What about you, huh?” he asked, to which she gave him a confused look.

“You weren’t so bad yourself the other night. Why don’t you sing more often? We could use a female voice in the group to help with the harmonies every now and then.”

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, a look of shock and embarrassment colouring her own cheeks now.

“No way! I can barely hit most notes!” she sputtered.

“Now that’s a lie if ever I heard one. Come on, sing along to this song. I bet you 5 bucks that you can keep a harmony going the whole way through.” He goaded her.

A blush continued to cover her checks as she sat upright in her seat before huffing “Fine, but you have to sing it with me, I’m not about to embarrass myself on my own.”

“Deal. Now start it from the beginning.” He told her, pressing the back button himself.

And so, as the song restarted, the two of them began to sing together, Hak taking his part as the melody and Yona figuring out a harmony as she went along.

From there, one song led to another until they had gone through the whole album together multiple times, taking turns between who sang what parts and all around enjoying themselves.

The weather outside however just seemed to get worse and worse until they were practically crawling while cranking up the heating as the temperature dropped. They had been on the road now for about 5 hours and still had a ways to go and it was getting dark out.

It was about time for Yona to swap out with Hak and take her turn at the wheel again but while she insisted, he didn’t want her driving in these conditions any more than he wanted to himself, so instead he just grabbed his sweater that he had left on the back seat and tossed it to her.

“Why don’t you just take a nap for the rest of the way. Once we get there you know Gramps will keep us up till god knows what hour catching up, so you might as well try and catch some sleep now, I’ll be careful don’t worry”. He said, in his most reassuring tone.

“Hak, are you sure? It’s getting really bad out there” she replied, worry clear in her voice and face.

“I’ll get us there fine, I promise to go slow. Hopefully it’ll only be another hour to Gramps’ place, I recognise the sign up ahead so it’s not too much further.”

“Ok, as long as you’re sure,” she said, though her voice was still concerned. Shrugging on his oversized sweater, she nestled down in her seat, leaning her head against the window and it wasn’t long before she was out cold.

He knew she had had a long day between her exam and driving so he figured it was for the best. And so, with that in mind, he simply turned down the music, kept his eyes on the road and concentrated on getting them back in one piece.

{*****}

True to his word, about an hour later he was pulling into Gramp’s driveway, which he had thankfully cleared already, and sent him a message that they had made it back ok and would be inside in a minute.

Yona was still fast asleep, curled up in a little ball of what looked to be 90% sweater and 10% Yona. Chuckling softly to himself at the sight, he got out of the driver’s seat and started to haul their stuff in through the door where an eager Tae-Yun greeted him and started to drag their bags as best he could to their rooms.

Once all the stuff was inside he made his last trip out to the car to wake Yona up.

“Come on, sleepy head. Rise and shine, Tae-Yun dying to give you a big hug and tell you all about his adventures so hurry up.” He said as he poked her cheek.

“hggnnn, ok I’m up, I’m up, tell Tae-yun I’ll be inside in a sec.” she muttered, stretching her arms and legs.

“Ok, but don’t take too long otherwise he’ll have a sugar crash before he even has the chance to say hello” he replied before heading back inside himself.

After she had shaken her hand enough that she got some feeling back into it again, having given herself pins and needles from laying on it for so long, she propped herself up and started to get out of the car.

It was freezing outside so she made quick work of making her way to the door where Hak let her in just as a small boy came running around the corner and launched himself at her in a bear hug.

“Yona! You guys are back, what took you so long!” yelled an excited Tae-Yun as he released his grip enough for Yona to get a look at him.

He was still as cute a kid as ever with his blonde hair and blue hat that he always wore.

“Bad weather and worse tests” she replied with a laugh, letting the young boy lead her through the house to show her all the decorations he had helped to put up.

“Careful not to make her trip Tae-Yun, she just woke up from a nap” Hak called after the two, to which the young boy giggled and Yona gave him a withering look much to his own amusement.

“I’m not that clumsy” she called back, just as she almost slid on a toy that had been left on the ground.

He chuckled to himself again.

“Hak, my boy! Good to have you home again” said Mundok as he got up from where he was sitting in the living room.

“Good to be back Old Man” he returned.

Mundok swatted at him.

“I thought you finally came around to calling my Grandpa!” he yelled.

“Ya, but where’s the fun in that” he threw back, dodging more thumps to the head in return.

Sighing to himself, Mundok eventually gave up and merely helped him take the last of his and Yona’s stuff to their rooms that Tae-Yun couldn’t carry himself.

It was nice to be back home in his own room again. Sharing with Droopy Eyes could be a real pain when he decided he wanted to stay up and chat instead of just going to sleep like any normal person.

After Gramp’s had left to go and welcome Yona home, he closed his door and flopped back on his own bed. Yes, as fun as University life could be, home was great with all its clean sheets and ample food that he didn’t have to go out into the cold to get. No roommates and all his old stuff? It was always a nice vacation.

Propping himself up though, he started to unpack his stuff so he could head back downstairs and catch up with the family. He would have liked to have just gone to sleep there and then, but he knew he should at least try and be sociable for another hour or so before hitting the hay. He knew how much his family had missed both Yona and himself, so it was only fair.

After he threw his last shirt into his closet and had thrown on a new sweater, he shuffled downstairs to grab something to eat and let Tae-Yun talk his ear off for a while before the little boy was sent off to bed himself.

{*****}

After she and Hak had unpacked their stuff and gotten something to eat, they all met up in the living room to catch up. Just as Hak had said, Mundok had kept them up far longer than they had intended after their long journey, so by the time it was two in the morning, they both politely said their goodnights to everyone and retired to their rooms while Mundok carried a sleeping Tae-Yun to his own bed.

Once she brushed her teeth and got into her PJ’s Yona barely even made it to her bed before her legs gave out and she flopped onto the mattress, burying herself under the covers.

She was exhausted from the day and the nap had actually just made her more tied if that were possible.

It had been good though.

While her mind wandered as she had settled down for her nap she had managed to think of a good Christmas present for Hak. At the very least she could cross him off her list of people she had to get gifts for which was nice seeing as Christmas was only a few days away.

She would figure out how to get everything together in time tomorrow though, for now she just wanted to crash out and get warm, and with that, she closed her eyes and let the sounds of the wind howling outside her window lull her to sleep.

{*****}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for reading this far! As always, any kind of review is welcome and appreciated.  
> Phew, I managed to keep to my promise and then some so that’s a relief. I hope you guys enjoyed this longer chapter.   
> Love Ya!


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Yona woke up feeling refreshed and excited to start getting to enjoy the holidays with some newfound downtime.

Heading over to her closet she pulled out her favourite old light pink sweater, her softest pair of blue jeans and some long black socks she could fold over the top of her ankle boots to keep them from rubbing, as she planned to do quite a bit of walking around.

After brushing her teeth and detangling her hair from the birds' nest it had made itself into overnight, she finally put on her favourite tassel earrings that she wore every day and quickly shoved the small piece of cloth holding her tiny treasure into her bag before heading downstairs to join everyone for breakfast. 

Unsurprisingly, everyone else was already up and eating, little Tae-Yun with a bowl of some sort of cereal, Mundok with a simple cup of morning coffee – black as ink and hot as hell, just the way he liked it – and Hak raiding the fruit bowl.

Noticing her making her way down the stairs, he tossed her an apple with a quick “Here, catch”, while he ate some mango he had sliced up, over the sink.

“Thanks” she replied, catching it before sitting down at the table to eat while pouring herself a glass of milk and some of whatever cereal it was that Tae-Yun was having.

“Hey, Hak,” she asked, in between mouthfuls.

“Yeah?”

“Think you could give me a ride into town today so I can get started on my Christmas shopping? We’ve only got a few days left and its probably already a zoo, so I wanted to try and head out early” she said casually, throwing on her best smile in the hopes that he was in a good enough mood to not complain about taxiing her around.

“Sure” he replied, grabbing another mango. “I got my own list I need to get started on before Hang-Dae and Tae-Woo get here and won’t give me a moments peace and quiet” he sighed, leaning against the counter and running his finger through his hair, already looking exhausted at the mere thought.

Those two loved making Hak’s life busy, that was for sure. Always begging him to teach them more weapons training or to take them places or do this that and the other. He loved to pretend that it was a real pain, but she knew he actually liked it, as tiring as it was. They were family and he would do anything for them, just like he would for anyone else close to him.

Giggling at his dramatics over his supposed impending doom, Yona finished her breakfast and put away her stuff before heading over to wait by the door.

Noticing she was already ready to go, Hak simply finished off his own breakfast, called out a quick “gimme five minutes” before jogging upstairs, presumably to grab his jacket and find his keys.

Moments later the sound of his heavy footsteps could be heard thudding down the stairs as he made his way over to the door and slipped on his shoes, taking the time to ruffle her just brushed hair, ignoring any grumbling in response, before heading out the door and over to his car.

Soon they were both on their way out of the gravel driveway and onto the main road into town.

“Anywhere you need to go in particular, or are we just gonna divide and conquer and just set up a meeting time?” Hak asked as they started to drive by the first few stores in search for somewhere to park.

“The latter. I have some idea for a few people already, but not everyone” she replied.

“Why don’t we meet up at the fountain in the centre of town in about. . . two hours let’s say? And see where we want to go from there”.

“Sounds like a plan,” she said with a smile.

After wandering around for a few more minutes until they were finally able to find a place to park, Yona and Hak split up in search of gifts for the friends and family, wishing each other a quick 'good luck' before setting off.

Yona had an idea of what places she wanted to go, so to start off what was sure to be a long day, she headed straight for the jewellers, knowing that what she had in mind would probably take a few hours before it was done.

Greeted by a soft ringing from the bell above as she opened the door, Yona walked up to the counter and was about to call out if anyone was there before a small elderly man made his way over to greet her.

“What can I do for you today miss?” he asked with a warm smile.

“I have a small project in mind and I was hoping you might be able to help me out, the only problem is I kinda need it done in time for Christmas. . . do you think it could be done it time?” she asked rather sheepishly, knowing that was a lot to ask for on such short notice.

At her look of nervousness and evident worry that she was going to be out of luck, the old man simply chuckled and patted the top of her hand.

“I’m sure it can be done in time, this old man has more than a few tricks up his sleeve by now so as long as you know what you want for this project of yours, I’m sure I can make it happen,” he said kindly.

With a sigh of relief and a grateful smile in return, Yona fished around in her bag for her small piece of cloth and started to explain what she had in mind.

{*****}

Rubbing his hands together and blowing on them in a vain attempt at returning some feeling back into his fingers, Hak eventually gave up and simply shoved his hands back into his pockets so they’d at least be out of the biting wind.

While he wasn’t especially averse to the cold, having grown up in the mountains, he still preferred a sunny afternoon to a chilly morning breeze any day.

Fishing his phone out from his jean pocket he checked the time and groaned internally.

He had already wasted an hour wandering around, and while he had covered most people on his list his still hadn’t managed to find anything for Yona.

Everyone else was so _easy_ in his mind.

Yun was always complaining that everyone in the house always ruined his kitchen utensils when they tried to cook for themselves, so he had gotten him a few replacements for some of the things that had seen better days.

Jae-ha and simply mentioned he needed some good new headphones and Zeno liked anything that was edible (preferably sweet).

How that guy never put on any weight, he would never know.

Shin-ah was always going around and taking pictures of everything, so he’d just gotten him another SD card he could use (as most of his were constantly full because he forgot to clear them once he had saved everything to his computer).

Kija was by far the easiest, and he just picked up some bug repellant for the white snake’s incessant insectophobia, while Gramps had mentioned he needed a new whetting stone to sharpen the weapons he kept in his collection.

As for Tae-woo and Hang-dae, they had messaged him saying they didn’t want anything for Christmas as long as he promised to finally teach them how to twirl a polearm correctly and little Tae-Yun had simply asked for a new scarf.

So why on earth was Yona so difficult to buy for?

After she had lost her father, she’d lost interested in a lot of the more girly things she had liked before like new dresses and jewellery. Instead, she had become obsessed with becoming stronger, both physically and mentally so she could survive on her own – Not that she needed to though as he had told her time and time again that he would stay by her side, yet it had always made him proud to see her progress as a person.

No longer the carefree girl who got everything she wanted on a whim by her father, now all that was left was the person she always had the potential to be.

Strong, independent, hardworking, yet still as kind and sweet as ever.

The only problem he had with this was that now he didn’t know what to do! She didn’t ever complain anymore, often way too consumed in helping those around her to think to ask for anything for herself and while this was admirable, it didn’t exactly help him at the moment.

He had considered maybe getting her something more practical like a new notebook or something along those lines but after such a hard year he had wanted to get her something that she could have fun with.

Something that would remind her to take time for herself every now and then.

Something that would make her smile.

He checked his phone again.

Shoot he had lost track of time again! He’d have to meet up with Yona by the fountain again in just over half an hour now.

Just as he was sure he was going to be shit out of luck and would have to try again tomorrow with the hope that inspiration would somehow hit him between now and then, he passed by the window of yet another store when something caught his eye.

He stopped in his tracks, smiled to himself, and went into the shop, greeted by the store owner as he made his way over to what had caught his eye.

{*****}

By the time two hours had gone by Yona was feeling quite chuffed with herself, having managed to get gifts for everyone on her list. It was a good thing she had thought about most of them beforehand to save herself time because by now it was reaching peak hour when everyone was coming into town to grab lunch and do their own last minute shopping.

It was still a few minutes before Hak was supposed to meet up with her, so she had made her way over to sit on the edge of the fountain, now covered in a thin sheet of frost and ice as she went through her bags to make sure she hadn’t missed anyone.

Once she was satisfied that no one had been forgotten she reached into the smallest bag that she had put inside one of the larger ones and checked the contents inside.

This was the gift she was most nervous about, but she couldn’t worry about it now. The elderly man from the shop had done a marvellous job and she was surprised how well it turned out. He had even given her new ideas here and there making the final product even better than what she had first imagined.

After checking it was still safe and sound within its small wooden box, she gently closed the lid and hid it beneath the rest of the contents within the larger bag, and no sooner than she had, did she look up to see Hak making his way over towards her with his own bags in tow.

“Got everyone accounted for then?” He said, gesturing to her pile of gifts.

“Yup! Just in time too, it's starting to get really busy, good thing this isn’t a larger town otherwise the stores would have been ridiculously packed at this time of year.”

“You can say that again. Come on, if we’re all good let’s dump our stuff back in the car and find somewhere to eat, I’m starving.”

“You had breakfast only a few hours ago!” She said with a small laugh as she nudged him in the side.

“Correction, I had two pieces of fruit two hours ago, that is not breakfast, now hurry up, will you?”

“Yeah, yeah” she replied flippantly as she jogged a few paces to catch up.

After dropping everything off in the back of the car, they headed over to the small café on the south side of town that was there usual go to whenever they were back home.

It was a quiet place that sat just on the edge of the street in front of where the small kids’ playground that lay in the park.

Usually they’d sip their drinks outside on one of the park benches but after being buffeted by the cold winter wind for long enough, they both decided they’d much rather prefer to have their drinks inside for once.

Yona ordered first, grabbing herself a hot chocolate and a warm ginger cookie and made her way to the upstairs where there was a small area to sit and grab themselves a table while Hak got his own food.

Luckily, there weren’t too many people there yet and she managed to grab a small table in the corner that sat beside one of the large windows overlooking the park.

It wasn’t long after she had sat down and was already halfway through her cookie that she heard the sound of Hak’s heavy gait coming up the stairs to join her, His own drink in tow along with some sort of muffin.

“So, what’s the plan once we get back home? Tae-woo and Hang-dae should be back there sometime soon, any particular plan of action?” she asked teasingly as he sat down across from her and started eating his snack.

“The plan is to give them a task and hope they don’t notice me slipping away while they’re distracted,” he said, lazily.

“Don’t be mean, I know you actually love it when they come over to visit”

“I’d love it a lot more if they didn’t still ask for piggyback rides despite not being that much younger,” he groaned.

“fair enough. Let’s just hope they don’t cause too much noise around the house with their antics otherwise Mundok will throw us all out of the house” she giggled.

“You got that right” he chuckled, quite used to getting into more than just your regular argument with Mundok when he was younger, often getting his ass kicked for mouthing off.

Not that it had really changed much over the years if she were honest.

It didn’t matter either way, she was excited to be surrounded by her friends and the people who were her self-made family. It had been a tough year and being with everyone put her heart at ease in a way she didn’t even realise she needed, though she did wish her roommates were around to celebrate with them as well.

They were as much family to her as any of the others were and she felt so lucky to have met each and every one of them.

“I gotta say, it might be freezing outside right now but sitting by this window all warm while looking outside, it sure it beautiful when everything is covered in ice,” Hak said, interrupting her thoughts.

“It sure is” she replied, after taking a last sip of her hot chocolate as her hands stayed warm against he still hot sides of the cup.

They stayed like that for a while, listening to the wind howl outside the window and throw crystals of ice into the air, watching shoppers make their trips up and down the sidewalk below.

After finishing off his own drink, Hak stretched in his seat before standing up and throwing away their trash as Yona grabbed her purse from the table.

Together they made the long trek back to the car, so they could head home and start wrapping their gifts for everyone to put under the tree so that they could relax, having finished everything on their to-do list for the day.

The ride home wasn’t very long, but they took their time as they turned up the radio and enjoyed the view of the passing mountainside views.

Back at school was pretty flat in terms of the landscape so it was always nice to come back to the mountains and breath the fresh air from the North.

It had just gone 2:00 by the time they pulled into the driveway beside Mundok’s car and made their way to the front door, arms loaded with bags.

Both of them headed straight upstairs to their rooms to get started on wrapping presents or finding places to hide stuff in the meantime, but before they could, they were both pulled apart as two sets of hands found their way around each of their arms.

“Lena! Hak! You guys are back! Where were you guys? We’ve been waiting for ages, come on let us help you guys bring your bags upstairs so we can go have fun!” said an enthusiastic Hang-Dae.

It had been a while since she’d heard anyone call her Lena and it made her laugh a little in surprise.

The first time she had met the two boys, they had completely misheard her name and had called her Lena for about two days before she finally thought to correct them. From then on, the nickname had simply stuck.

“Hey guys! We were just out getting our Christmas shopping done, give us a sec to put this stuff away and we’ll meet you downstairs to catch up.”

“Fine, but don’t take too long, we’ve been bored waiting around while Gramps keeps telling us to help decorate around the house,” said Tae-woo as he led a still smiling Hang-Dae back to the living room.

“And so, it begins” she heard Hak mumble as they both made their way inside their rooms.

{*****)

Once they had finished, true to their word, both Hak and Yona made their way downstairs to catch up with Hak’s cousins.

However, it wasn’t long before they both wished they very much hadn’t.

“So! Are you guys dating yet now that you’re both at the same university? It seems like you’ve been with each other all the time since forever now” asked Hang-Dae with a sly grin.

Neither of them knew what to say at first, as they both had to severely concentrate on not blushing or stuttering their response.

Lucky for Yona, Hak found his composure first.

“Knock it off you two, we only just get home, and this is what we have to deal with?” he said, annoyance clear in his voice.

“Oh, come one Hak, we’re just curious. Most people would have been wondering the same thing by now if they’d known you guys as long as we have” said Tae-woo.

“Ya, well you can keep your curiosity to yourselves and stop sticking your noses into other people’s business.”

“Fine, fine, but we’re watching you two just so you know, you’re friend Jae-ha made a bet with us about it and we plan on winning.”

Yona could practically see the vein on Hak’s forehead pop at that.

“Damn Droopy Eyes, you’re lucky you are kilometres away from my fist being in reach of your pretty little face right now” he muttered darkly under his breath.

Internally both Yona and Hak signed unbeknownst to the other.

This holiday might end up being less relaxing and more interesting if this is where the conversations kept going.

{*****}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! thank you so much for being patient with me again, I really appreciate it!  
> Bet you can guess what Yona's present for Hak is buying now right? Ah well, I'm having fun with this story either way, the real thing I’m interested in is if you guys already know what Hak found for Yona.  
> Reminder that reviews and criticisms of all kind are always welcome. It’s always so lovely whenever I get an email saying one of you guys has left me a comment.  
> Hopefully, this week will be less busy so I can have the next chapter out in time for the following weekend. Thank you for reading this far and I hope not to let you all down.


	7. Chapter 7

While Hak tried valiantly to steer their conversation towards a different topic, both Hang-Dae and Tae-woo refused to let up so easy, exclaiming that they were determined to win their bet against Jae-ha.

Though, they wouldn’t admit just what the bet had entailed.

Eventually, however, Hak’s patience simply ran out and he managed to convince the two boys to give up on their bet if he were to show them a few other tricks he knew with a polearm as an early Christmas present.

They two boys had eagerly agreed, however, Yona didn’t miss the crossed fingers they hid behind their backs as they jogged to catch up with him as he went outside to give them their bribery lesson.

An hour later, after Hak had thoroughly kicked both of their asses over the course of their ‘lesson’, the three of them had come back inside, two of which looked worse for wear and claiming they were going to hit the hay for the night as they made their way upstairs, looking stiff and sore already.

“What did you do to them?” Yona asked, chuckling softly as she got them both drinks from the fridge.

“Nothing they shouldn’t expect from training with me by now” he replied casually, looking as though he, himself, had barely broken a sweat throughout the entire lesson.

“Just try not to have any bones broken before Christmas, will you? Last thing we need is to spend the holidays in the ER.” She paused for a moment, “again” she added with a pointed look as they both sat down on the couch together, drinks in hand.

Hak, true to form, simply replied, “I make no promises” earning him a flick to the forehead before being chastised about being careful not to spill both their drinks after making an attempt at retaliation.

Despite best efforts, drinks were spilt here and there and fights won and lost.

In the end, they both decided it was much easier to simply lay back and enjoy the silence, as everyone else had long since gone to bed.

Soon Yona found herself struggling to keep her eyes open, finally feeling the effects of the long day sinking in.

Before she even realised it, what she had planned on simply being ‘letting her eyes rest for a bit’ ended up being a bit more than she had bargained for, as she was out like a light.

{*****)

Finished with his drink, Hak carefully got up from his spot on the couch, trying his best not to wake up Yona, as he made his way about the house locking the doors for the night and putting things back into something resembling order.

It had been a long day, and he wasn’t surprised Yona had already conked out. Neither of them had even slept in either, seeing as they were still used to expecting the irritating beeping of an alarm to go off at some point in the early hours of the morning before the sun was even up.

It’d probably be a few days before they would both gradually be able to start relaxing and enjoying their holiday.

Hearing Yona mumbling in her sleep, he quietly made his way back over to the couch and sat down next to the slumbering girl, head tipped forward and resting on her chin and a glass balancing precariously in her hands.

Deciding it would be best to take away the glass before she managed to drop it, he gently reached out and pried the glass from her hands and set it on the low coffee table in front of them.

As careful as he was though, the disturbance seemed to be enough to cause Yona to mumble something else unintelligible and sway about before promptly flopping over onto her side leaning her head against his shoulder.

Well this was great, he thought sarcastically to himself.

Now he was stuck sitting there or risk waking her up by moving her more, and while he usually had no reluctance towards teasing and annoying her, it was the holidays and they were home and both tired from the long day and he didn’t have it in him to wake her up.

Instead, he resigned himself to his current situation and simply grabbed another pillow to prop behind his head as he got out his phone and headphones to listen to some music while he dozed and relaxed, himself.

While he had the time, he planned to get around to writing some more songs for his band, so they could finish off the next album they had in the works at the moment. Listening to a variety of different things helped to get him into a creative enough zone that he could start to jot down some of his own lyrics and chords, otherwise preferring to simply head out into the woods and let his mind wander for a while and let inspiration come to him on his own.

Not that he often needed inspiration, he thought to himself as he looked to his side to see Yona, even more flopped onto him than before.

He chuckled lightly at this.

Yup, he was as lovesick as they got, which meant that a lot of the songs he had written had little hints of her in them.

Small things, things that only he would be able to pick out and always careful not to be too obvious, lest he want the risk of being endlessly teased by the insufferable Droopy Eyes. Yet, those parts were still hidden in every song nonetheless.

Now more than ever, he found that more and more of his songs had pieces of her woven into them as he found himself falling even further, if such a thing were possible.

They’d known each other practically all their lives, yet as Hak watched her grow and become stronger every day, he felt it in his heart.

The feeling of hopeless, self indulgent, unrequited love that he felt for her growing stronger and stronger as each day went by.

It was hard, that was for sure. Hell, just a few days ago he had lost his ability to hide her in his lyrics anymore and sang openly about just who it was that held his heart in their hands.

Sang about the colour of his true love’s hair.

Yet by some grace of God, or perhaps the opposite, she had heard him yet not recognised that the song was about herself.

It didn’t matter to him though, not really.

This year alone, she had gone through hell and back and the last thing he wanted to do was complicate her life any further by adding to the list of things she already had to deal with.

Didn’t want to make her feel that she couldn’t still rely on him to be there for her even if she didn’t feel the same way about him as he did for her.

What really mattered was that he would always be there and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.

What mattered most to him, wasn’t that the dawn was his, but rather that it kept rising and shining just as beautifully each day for everyone.

He’d seen that hole of despair she had slipped into after the death of her father. After Su-won had betrayed them and their trust.

Had seen the emptiness in her eyes and he would rather die than see the light fade from her eyes again like it did that day.

Gently, he reached over and brushed a crimson curl away from her face as she continued to sleep against his shoulder, eyelashes fanned serenely across her cheeks and her brow smooth and blissfully free of worry.

It warmed his heart to know that for the most part those days were behind her. She had set her sights on higher ground and wouldn’t stop until she got there – until she felt like she had finally become strong enough, and even then, he doubted she would slow down in her pursuit of strength.

In some ways he found it funny.

Did she not realise that she was one of the strongest people he knew already?

The strength she held in her ability to push forward, to still trust in others after trust had been broken, to not lose hope and to look forward to each new day she had, only seeing the chances to change the world around her for the better and being hellbent on doing whatever she could.

These were things that for all the training he did, all the gruelling workouts and long hours, this was the sort of strength that you couldn’t achieve simply by punching your way out of problems.

It wasn’t even a mental strength, he supposed.

Rather, it was the strength of her heart.

Just as he finished his musings, he looked down to find Yona starting to stir, seemingly to only just realise that she had nodded off for a while.

Yawning, she pushed herself upright enough to look at him with blurry eye and ask a vague “sorry, how long was I out?”

“Not long.” He replied, yanking out his headphones, and propping his feet up on the table.

“If you’re that tired, why not just go to sleep for the night?”

“It’s not that late though, it’s barely gone 10:00. It feels silly to waste time sleeping when we finally have the time to relax and have fun.” She muttered in response. “Why, don’t we watch a movie together? We haven’t done that in ages and the night is still young” she said, suddenly perking up a bit more.

“Sure”, he said, “What do you want to watch?”

“I don’t mind. Why don’t you pick while I go make us some popcorn and grab some more drinks?”

“Sounds good to me. Oh, and if you're grabbing more drinks, gramps left some more up in the freezer: he called over his shoulder as she got up and made her way over to the snack cupboard, receiving a simple “On it!”, in return.

Making the effort to get off his ass, he made his way over to the shelf that the TV sat on to see what movies they had – the answer being, not a lot.

Eventually, Hak managed to find Avatar and popped it into the DVD player.

It was one of his favourite movies, to be honest. He loved the feeling as if he were the one flying when they first rode the leonopteryx through the floating mountains.

As he headed back over to make himself comfy on the couch, he grabbed them both a large blanket that they could share as Yona came over, hands full with popcorn and drinks for the two of them.

“So, what did you pick?” Yona asked, now seeming much more awake after her little nap as she shoved popcorn into her mouth like a squirrel.

“Avatar. And would you slow down there? The movies haven’t even started yet, save some for me, you look just like Ao right now” he teased, poking he cheek.

She simply swapped his hand away, “Lay off! We can always make more.”

“Yeah, yeah, just pass over the bag would ya?”

With an overly dramatized gesture, Yona placed the popcorn bag in between the two of them as she sat down next to him before putting both their drinks on the table.

“Happy now?” she asked?

“Yes,” he replied through a mouth full of popcorn and a smirk.

Sighing in exasperation, Yona simply turned back to face the TV and hit play, tugging the large blanket up over the two of them and snuggling into Hak’s side.

To his credit, he managed to keep a straight face and not show any signs of awkwardness at their proximity. He’d dealt with stuff like this over the years enough times to get it down packed, but inside his heart still thudded loudly against his chest, distracting him from most of the movie as they continued to watch the opening scenes.

For the most part he was able to pay attention, taking a sip from his drink every now and then or a handful of popcorn, letting Yona have most of it as she continued to curl up beside him under the blanket.

It was sweet really, despite having seen the movie a few times before, she’d still look deeply concerned when war was on the horizon and get teary eyed when characters died.

When Eytukan was killed, he swore he heard sniffling beside him but instead of teasing her as he might usually do, he simply pulled her into a side hug, not even bothering to look down to save her the embarrassment of her tears.

This holiday was going to be a good one. To hell with all the shit they had gone through this year with school and though her family tragedy, it was times like these that mattered. Times like these where memories were made that they could look back on and recall only the feeling of being content.

By the time the movie was finished, there was popcorn on the floor, both of them were in a tangle of blankets stretched out and taking up all the available space on the couch and it was a little passed 1:00 in the morning.

Amidst the glow from the TV, as the credits rolled by, they both yawned, yet couldn’t find the energy to move.

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, you know,” said Yona, softly through her cocoon of blanket she had made around herself.

“Yeah” he replied, still staring at the screen “It feels like its come around so fast this year.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” She said, now toying with the corner of fabric she held in her hands.

“I was thinking. . . for old times sake, do you want to head up to the fort tomorrow?” she asked, a hint of nervousness in her otherwise sombre tone.

He thought about it for a moment.

The fort was in the woods up in the mountains and where they had often played together as kids whenever she had come over to visit. He, Su-won and Yona had often spent nights camped out up there in those woods, staring at the stars as they hid in their sleeping bags.

They had stopped going sometime in the past when they had started to get too busy to play anymore and had mostly forgotten about it until then, yet as she mentioned it, he knew why she wanted to go.

After Su-won had betrayed them, she found it hard to go to any of the places the three of them had frequented as kids, yet the fort was one of the few places that had been something for just the two of them.

Su-won had never been able to stay long enough for them to make the trip all the way up there. Now that he and Yona were older though, the trip would be easier to make and so it wouldn’t take them the whole day to get there like it used to.

It was another place, he knew, that would bring them both contentment when times would be hard, as this would be her first Christmas without her father.

He knew she needed as many good memories as she could have right now.

“Sure, we’ll head up there first thing tomorrow morning, so we can get back before dinner with the family,” He said, into the silence that had somehow risen around them.

“Yeah, sounds like a good plan. . . hey Hak?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” She said in a quiet tone before wrapping her arm around his torso in a side hug.

“No problem” he replied, returning the hug in turn as they both drifted off for the night on the couch, not even bothering to turn off the TV before they were sound asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So sorry it’s been another 2 weeks since I updated! This was supposed to be an easy week for me, so I expected to get a lot more done, but life decided this say “bitch you thought!” and gave me the opposite.   
> Based on how this is going I think I’m just gonna have to say to expect updates every 2 weeks or so otherwise if it’s earlier than that it’s just going to be a lucky surprise.   
> Thank you for reading this far! Next week I’m going to be going back and seeing if I can fix some small mistakes in pervious chapters/improve them at all before continuing on with the next chapter (As you guys know by now I write at night and am therefore prone to a lot of mistakes while typing).   
> The next chapter I plan to finally get into some actual fluff so you can look forward to that! Don’t forget I always love getting your comments/reviews and anything you have to say is always welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

It was only around 7:00 in the morning and still dark enough to be night before the two of them woke up half sprawled across the couch, half sprawled across each other, with their blanket from the night before in a tangled heap more complicated than the Gordian knot, now up to their chins and leaving their feet exposed to the cold morning air.

After a few tugs here and there in an attempt to untangle themselves without having to leave the warmth of the couch, they both eventually gave up and simply rolled onto the floor and shimmied out of the blanket trap they had unintentionally made.

Upon freeing their limbs and grimacing as their feet hit the cold wood floors, Yona tip-toed upstairs to grab them both some warmer sweaters and socks while Hak set about getting himself a coffee for himself and a hot chocolate for Yona before they would set out on their trip.

It would take them a good three hour hike up the mountain just to reach the fort. Probably more if Hak thought about it, given that while the snow wasn’t too deep to manage, it would still slow them down.

He chuckled softly to himself at the thought that he’d most likely he’d have to lead the way if only to make a path for Yona to follow his footsteps through the snow once it got deeper.

Determined she may be, she could still be clumsy from time to time and the poor girl didn’t exactly have the longest legs for wading through deep powder.

Yet the fact remained, she wanted to go up to the fort today and he had agreed so they would make the trek one way or another.

Throwing their drinks into two travel mugs, grabbing some snacks that they could have once they reached their destination and a blanket, Hak dropped their stuff by the door and started to make them some breakfast.

That was another thing that always made him laugh. Though she would claim otherwise if only to save her pride, Yona was a horrible cook no matter how simple the meal.

One time she had tried to make everyone in their shared house pancakes for a treat and it had ended in a mad scramble to see who could find a fire extinguisher first.

Since then, Yun had all but banned her from the kitchen in the best interest of everyone. Hence, why she stuck to her secret stash of frozen waffles (everyone in the house knew but let her keep her little stash because it was adorable and hilarious to see her attempts at sneaking them up to her room) instead of making them herself.

Just as he got started on making some scrambled eggs and toast, the stairs squeaked as Yona quietly made her way back downstairs sporting a thick knitted sweater (still light pink he noted without surprise as it was her favourite colour), the fluffiest socks he had ever seen, a pair of fleece black pants and her hair now brushed and pulled away neatly from her face as a creamy white scarf hugged her neck with her arms full of his own winter clothes.

For him, she had grabbed much of the same.

One of his old thick hoodies – though his was a dark blue –a pair of thick woollen socks and his own grey scarf that he’d thought he’d lost ages ago.

“Do you have winter boots that’ll be tall enough to keep the snow from filling them up along the way?” he asked, scrambled eggs now sizzling on the stove.

“Ya, they’re just in the closet. Want me to grab yours too while I’m there?”

“Ya sure.” He replied over his shoulder.

Once they had both eaten their breakfast and geared up for their cold trek up the mountain with a bag of snacks and blankets in tow, they headed out the door leaving a note on the kitchen countertop for Mundok or one of the others to find.

{*****}

They had been hiking for about two hours or so now, feet now feeling the cold and fingers only left functioning by defrosting them against the sides of their still warm travel mugs.

Yona took another sip of her hot chocolate, careful to watch where she was going so that she could step in the footprints Hak left to keep her from having to wade in too much powder.

They had just stopped to have one of the snacks and find their drinks before starting out again. At the rate they were moving, they would easily reach the fort sometime just before noon.

She wondered if it would look just as she remembered it. It had been years since either her or Hak had been back or even thought about their old personal playground, yet for what Yona had in mind it seemed right.

As embarrassing as it might be for her to admit it, she really glad to have so much time together with just Hak and herself.

Just like when they were kids, young and reckless, racing through the mountains and teasing each other.

She loved spending time with Hak’s family – which was more or less her family in most ways –and the time she got to spend with her friends back at school, but there was something inherently different when it was just the two or them. . . and she had missed that.

“You doing ok back there princess?” asked Hak, classic smirk in place as he flicked some snow at her.

Squealing a little in surprise, she scowled back at him before saying “I’m doing fine but I could do without the extra snowfall” she said, flicking some back at him only for him to dodge it.

“How’s your coffee?” she asked.

“Hot.”

“So good then?”

“Exactly.”

She giggled a bit. “Why do you always like it so hot it might as well be lava?” she continued.

“What can I say? I’m a man of extremes. Tepid drinks simply don’t cut it I’m afraid.” He replied back teasingly.

Now she really did laugh.

They continued on like this as they continued on this way, bantering and teasing each other to pass the time and it wasn’t long before the fort came into view and she sighed.

It was just as she remembered it. A bit more worn around the edges, but still the same.

It was a simple little thing. A small treehouse built to rest in-between three pines with a simple wooden ladder leading up to it.

As they made their way over Yona could see that a few more rungs from the ladder had started to decay but overall it seemed sturdy enough, so she went first and started to climb.

Once she pulled herself to the top, she walked over the to the railing and stood breathless at the view before her.

Their fort overlooked the drop into one of the valleys between the mountains giving a clear view of the entire surrounding area. It was stunning and even more beautiful in the depths of winter when snow covered the mountains making them sparkle in the afternoon light.

Hak came up beside her then. “Look – “he said, “-It’s a Golden eagle” a fond smile finding its way to his face.

Hak had always loved watching the eagles that came up and nested in the peaks. Seemed to connect with them in some way. With the wind itself, in the mountains he called home.

{*****}

Once the eagle had flown out of view they set about clearing the snow off the platform and out of the little house so that they could sit down and rest for a while and finish up their drinks and snacks on one of the blankets they had brought.

Luckily, inside the little house was considerably warmer as it kept out the wind.

Once inside and after stopping to have a bit more fun with the snow by making a small snowman to stand guard on the platform, they headed inside and cozied themselves up with their blankets as they reminisced about all the adventures they had had there. About all the injuries they had managed to get through their recklessness, him more than her, she insisted as he gave her a disbelieving look in return.

Eventually, their conversation drifted to more recent things like school, and now the holidays.

“I can’t believe its already Christmas tomorrow, it came around too quickly this year” Hak mused.

“Yeah it sure did, I’m just glad we managed to get everyone presents in time. . .” she drifted off and suddenly looked a little nervous which confused him before she managed to find her voice again.

“Speaking of which, that was actually one of the reasons I asked you to come here with me.”

She slowly and shyly began to reach into her sweater pocket before pulling out a wooden box.

The box itself was plain but dark and smooth, the smell of old wood varnish still there. It was small too, easily fitting in her hand as she tentatively handed it to him and looked down at her feet before explaining.

“I wanted to give you your Christmas present a little early so that I could give it to you when it was just the two of us – It’s nothing much, but it seemed like it might be a bit embarrassing. . . With the rest of the family around, that is. . .” she drifted off again, in between stammering.

He looked between her and the box a few times before gently taking off the lid off and unwrapping what whatever lay in the cloth inside before he stilled.

Sitting in the palm of his hand was a pendant of lapis lazuli, cut and polished and set on a cord of dark leather.

He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what it meant, as he held it up to the light to get a better look at it.

As he smoothed his thumb over both sides he noticed that something was engraved into the back.

It was a small insignia of two mountains resting side by side, each topped with a snowy peak as tiny birds soared through the valley between them.

Golden eagles, he realised when he looked more closely.

The entire engraving itself was barely the size of his pinky nail yet it had been craved with so much care and detail, it was stunning.

“I heard that Lapis Lazuli can be worn to help keep its wearer safe and protected. I found that piece one of the times we had gone exploring in the river as kids and hid it away before you could take it and tease me when I would inevitably try and get it back.” she chuckled a little before continuing.

“Y-You’ve done so much for me and stayed by my side after all these years through thick and thin and always without any regard for any cost to yourself. . . you have always been there, and I don’t know what I’d do if one day I woke up and something had happened to you. . . if you were suddenly gone.

I know it seems overly sappy and dramatic but. . . I thought I’d have it made into a necklace that you could wear so that it would always keep you safe” she ended, now blushing and staring at the travel mug in her hands.

He didn’t know what to do.

Didn’t know what to say.

Didn’t have the words.

What he held in his hands was something that she had given him out of care and worry. Out of a desire to keep him safe in any way she could.

It was a gift that showed how much she cared about him. For him. And in some ways, it broke his heart to think that the worried that one day he may not be there.

That she thought that one day she might be alone.

Gently placing the pendant back in its box and setting it down beside him, he pulled her into a massive hug and buried his face in her hair.

At first, she struggled a bit, evidently flustered and claiming that he was just making the whole thing that much more embarrassing for her, but her protests didn’t last long as she gave in and returned the hug just as fiercely, her own face buried in his chest.

“Thank you” he whispered beside her ear, “I’ll treasure it always”.

They stayed like that for a while, each of them holding on as if they were afraid the other would disappear from their grasp.

Eventually, Hak pulled away to look at her.

She smiled fondly at him and sniffled a bit, holding back what he knew was tears, so he reached over to grab the box again.

“Put it on for me?” he asked.

“s-sure,” she said, still a bit flustered as she carefully took out the pendant from its box.

He leaned down for her as she sat forward and took each end of the leather cord and tied it around the back of his neck before smoothing the pendant flat against his chest as she sat back down, the whole time neither of them taking their eyes off the other.

It happened so fast, Hak was almost sure he’d imagined it, but as he started to look down to admire the engraving on the pendant again, Yona quickly leaned in and Kissed the corner of his mouth. 

She didn’t linger but seemed just as surprised with herself when his head snapped up and he stared at her.

“S-s-sorry, I’ll head back first” she stammered out before quickly getting up and grabbing her stuff before making to dart out the door of the little house.

He was frozen in place, still stunned at what had just happened that he couldn’t seem to find the words to tell her to wait a moment.

He was scrambling, desperate to find something to say, to tell her to stop and tell him what the heck that was just then.

Luckily, by some miracle, though his brain couldn’t seem to think of anything to do fast enough to stop her from running off, his mouth started working on its own, and what came out of his mouth surprised even him as he started singing softly just as she reached the doorway.

“Red is the colour of my true love's hair. . .”

She paused in the doorway. Still as stone.

“ . . . Her lips are like some roses fair

She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon she stands . . .” she slowly turned around to face him, expression unreadable yet it seemed like she finally understood who it was he had written the song about to his great relief and worry.

He continued on though, each note a near whisper as the wind continued to howl outside the open door, his eyes now meeting hers.

“I love my love, but she’ll never know

I love the ground whereon she goes

How I wish that day would soon come

When she and I can be as one

I think of her pain and I mourn and weep

For without her smile I’d never sleep

I write her letters just a few short lines

And I suffer death ten thousand times

Red is the colour of my true love's hair

Her lips are like some roses fair

She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon she stands

I love the ground whereon she stands. . .”

Silence filled the room. Both of them staring, waiting for the other to say something, yet nothing, it seemed could be said.

Instead, just as Hak felt like his heart would sink in defeat she answered his song with her version in turn, each word soft and hesitant. Unsure of itself.

“Black is the colour of my true love's hair

His face so stern yet He’s always there”

A warm smile bloomed across her face as she sang these words.

“He has the purest eyes and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon he stands

I love my love, but he’ll never know

I love the ground whereon he goes

How I wish that day would soon come

When he and I can be as one

I think of his pain and I mourn and weep

For without his smile I’d never sleep

I have no letters not even one line

But still in my heart I wish he were mine

Black is the colour of my true love's hair

His face so stern yet He’s always there

He has the purest eyes and the gentlest hands

And I love the ground whereon he stands

I love the ground whereon he stands. . .”

As she sang she had started to make her way back towards him, the occasional creak from the old wooden floorboards the only interruption to her words until she sat down in front of him again.

“Do you understand who that song was about now?” he asked, voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him.

“I do. Gods I hope I do, otherwise this will be even more awkward if that’s even possible” she rambled.

“Do you understand who it was _I_ sang about. . .?”

“If I’m allowed to indulge myself in my childhood fantasies, then yes, I do” he laughed almost hysterically.

“So, what does that mean for the two of us?” she asked hesitantly, eyes betraying her hope.

“Well, what I hope it means is that I can finally get away with doing this” he said, before gently holding her face in his hands and bringing his lips to hers as he kissed her softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I finally caught a break if only for a little bit (thank you Victoria Day long weekend).  
> This isn’t quite the end, don’t worry, I still have a bit planned out but once I reach a good stopping point I may take a break on this and do a few one shots again before coming back to it.  
> Thank you for those you have read this far. I’m always happy to receive any kind of comment, review, suggestion etc.   
> Hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend as well! Updated chapters for grammar/improvements/fixing mistakes will be up soon.


	9. Chapter 9

It wasn’t real.

It couldn’t be real.

How long had he dreamt of something like this with no hope of it ever coming true?

How long had he _longed_ for this?

It didn’t even matter anymore, Hak’s mind was a blur as he continued to kiss Yona softly as he held her face in his hands.

At some point, her own arms found their way around the back of his neck and her hands slowly began to run through his hair. An action he returned in kind as he moved one of his hands around to the back of her head and twisted one of her crimson curls around his finger as her head lay cradled in his hand.

Yona was hesitant at first, seemingly unsure on how to reciprocate given how new this sort of thing was to her, but she did her best. And as she slowly got a feel for it, she began to relax and melt into his arms.

A dream. This had to be a dream.

But it was not a dream. She was here, she was in his arms and was returning his affections with what seemed to be the same sort of desperation he felt. It was better than any dream, because it was real.

He moved his other hand to wrap around her waist and pull her closer, though he knew it would never be close enough.

He couldn’t even feel the cold of the wind that whipped through the doorway anymore as they sat there within each other’s embrace. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before.

He broke off for a moment, allowing them both to catch their breath and so that he could gaze into her eyes. Eyes that were now finally looking back at him the way his had always looked at her.

Had they always been so warm? So vibrant? He wasn’t sure –wasn’t sure of anything anymore as he gently stroked the line of her jaw with his thumb.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that” he whispered, leaning back in to rest his forehead on hers.

“Funny, I could say the same thing” she replied, still a bit breathless and now completely flushed, causing him to breathe a laugh.

“Careful. With words like those, I might not let us leave” he teased, his mouth now pressing more soft kisses to her temple and she hummed in contentment.

“That wouldn’t be so bad? Would it?” she sighed, holding the hand that still supported her head with her own.

She knew it was still freezing outside as more snow began to sweep in through the doorway, yet the cold seemed more like a distant memory as her attention was engrossed in the feeling of Hak’s warm callused hands holding her close.

The sensation of his lips on hers still lingering between them.

“You know,” Hak muttered into her hair “This is technically the second time you’ve kissed me”

“What?” Yona replied drawing back in surprise to look at him and see if he was making it up.

“It’s true” he continued “Or am I the only one he remembers little princesses chasing frogs looking to change them into princes?”

Suddenly she remembered what it was he was referring to and became flushed all over again, now at the embarrassment of her impulsive childhood self.

It was true, though it had only been a peck on the cheek.

She and Hak had found a small pond on one of the many occasions they had gone exploring when they noticed that there were frogs hiding everywhere in the tall grasses that lined the muddy banks.

Upon this exciting discovery, they had raced to chase after the little critters, doing their best to try and catch one.

Unsurprisingly Hak managed to catch one first. He had joked that she had to give it a kiss before he let it go because she was always acting like a spoiled little princess.

When all he got in response was a confused look he explained to her that in fairy tales when a princess kissed a frog it would turn into a prince.

She had crinkled her nose up at the suggestion of kissing the slimy little frog still covered in mud and pondweed. Instead, she had simply put on a wicked little grin before quickly sweeping in and giving him a kiss on the cheek saying that she’d rather give him one instead because if they were lucky, maybe it would make him more charming instead since he was “always so awful to her”.

“Let’s not bring up things I did as a kid” she groaned, looking away in embarrassment.

“Well, you have to tell me if it worked at least” he grinned.

“What do you mean?”

“Am I more charming now? Am I princely enough to replace a frog?” he teased and received a whap on the shoulder in response.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to be my prince” she laughed.

“Well, that depends I guess on if you want a prince now doesn’t it?”

“I don’t,” she said, eyes now finding his again.

“Then what is it that you want,” he asked softly, drawing her back to him as their breath rose around them like smoke in the winter chill.

“You” she whispered into the space between them, “Just you. Just as you ar—” but she could barely finish the words before his lips found hers again.

{*****}

Warm.

Hak was always so warm, she thought to herself as they both began to slowly wander back home before it started to get dark out.

They had stayed up at the fort for a few hours before finally deciding that they should probably head back. Both of them had been reluctant to leave the privacy and the sweet nostalgia that their little hideaway always brought them.

Had been reluctant to extract themselves from each other’s embrace, not only because of how cold it was but for how long they had waited to have that moment with each other after so much time wasted in hesitation.

Once they finally managed to head to the doorway of the little house they said a last goodbye to the golden eagles that still soared through the valleys despite the wind and started down the trail home, hand in hand.

It was Hak’s hand that now engrossed he attention as they trudged through the powder, now a little deeper than when they had arrived and already filling up their footprints.

It was so warm, just like the rest of him and it completely dwarfed her own. Yet despite that, he held her hand so gently.

Not lightly, just gentle and firm. It was as if he were afraid that if he didn’t she might just disappear from his grasp as if this whole day had been nothing more than a dream.

That was what she felt at least, as she brushed her thumb across the back of his hand.

Memorised every callus on his palm.

It was odd to say the least. She had always admired his skills with his hands. The dexterity and strength he had developed over the years, yet feeling the warmth radiating from his hand to her own, calluses and all, seemed at such odds with their rough appearance.

A little like Hak himself she supposed. A little rough and intimidating at first glance but warm and gentle at heart.

That was another thing that was always so warm.

His heart.

So protective of those he loved, both family and friends. Always so willing to do more than his fair share if it meant lightening the load for those he cared about, yet it was a poor decision to ever cross him.

Of that she was certain.

But here they were, walking hand in hand, side by side, back home for the holidays. Where the promise of family and a hot meal awaited them eagerly but despite this, they still took their time. Still lingered on the snowy paths through the mountain forests.

Neither of them knew how to approach the matter once they were back home. It felt as if it was spoiled a bit to have this wonderful news shared with the others so soon. Something that was so personal to themselves.

She knew it might be a little selfish, but at least for the holidays, Yona wanted to have this ‘development’ per se between herself and Hak just to themselves awhile longer.

Maybe it was the side of her that Hak was always pointing out made her seem like a spoiled little princess but the little girl in her couldn’t help but find the idea of sneaking off with a boy she cared so deeply about to be alone every now and then felt ever so romantic.

“What’re you thinking about,” asked Hak suddenly, pulling her out of her thoughts. He was looking at her with an amused grin obviously watching her daydream for a while now.

“Nothing much. Just wondering what we do now I guess.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I guess we’ve just known each other for so long I don’t know how else to act around you. Do I act like a girlfriend? What is that even like, anyway? Do we say anything to the others at home? Back at the apartment?” she rambled now getting lost a whole new slew of thoughts and concerns.

Would today change their relationship together? –Apart from the obvious, that is. At least, would they still hang out with each other and do things together like they did as friends?

“Slow down there Princess, you’ll make yourself dizzy with all those thoughts flying around your head right now. I don’t think today changes anything really, other than the fact that I can probably get away with a bit more now” he added with a smirk her way.

“We’ll both just keep being who we are and do all the same things. I don’t think any of that will ever change. The only thing that changes is that I now don’t have anything keeping me from telling you how amazing I think you are or how just being around you makes my heart feel fuller. As for the others, that’s up to you. Quite frankly I don’t care who knows at this point –though on second thought I’d be careful about your choice of words to gramps unless you’re keen to watch me get a beating”

She giggled at his last remark, not doubting he would be right as Mundok was liable to pick up his spear and chase Hak around the house demanding what he did to his ‘precious granddaughter’!

“I think I’m happy to keep whatever this is to ourselves for now. Not to be harsh to the others or anything but for now, I’m not too keen on sharing you that much right now” she said leaning into his side.

When she looked up at him to see his response, his smile could challenge the stars for their brightness.

“Well I certainly wouldn’t mind keeping you to myself as much as possible either. In fact –” he said, the gleam in his eyes the only warning she got before being scooped up off the ground and over his shoulder “—I don’t think I’m inclined to share at all right now.”

At first, she screeched, drumming her fists against his back even as they both laughed until eventually Hak gave in and settled for giving her a piggyback instead after she complained about all the blood rushing to her head.

And so, they went the rest of the way down the mountain like that, with Yona’s arms wrapped tight around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder as he held her legs and carried her the rest of the way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I’m so incredibly sorry that this chapter was delayed for so long and on top of that, it’s rather short. I haven’t given up on this story, don’t worry. I just had a really hectic time with school and family the last month or so (a lot of rescuing my poor mother from dealing with her terrible sister-in-law).  
> Thank you so much for reading (yes I’ll say it every time), comments and reviews of any kind are always welcome and I hope you all are having a wonderful summer (it’s been so hot I’ve been dying the last few weeks and hiding in the safety of air-con)  
> The next update won’t be as long awaited as this one I promise!  
> Love you guys!


	10. Chapter 10

By the time the two of them got home, the sun was just beginning to fall beneath the horizon, leaving the house in a rosy glow as the snow sparkled in the final rays of light.

They were welcomed by an overly excited Tae-Yun and bombarded by teasing and questions from Hang-Dae and Tae-woo (Neither of them rising to the bait, much to their disappointment) after which everyone settled down for dinner.

It was nice, Yona thought, to feel like a part of this family again as they all sat and talked in the living room later. The excitement in the air for Christmas tomorrow, seeing Mundok help Tae-Yun set out cookies and a glass of milk while Hang-Dae wound Tae-woo up trying to guess what he got for him.

It felt like it had been so long since she’d been with them all and it was always wonderful to see them again, though she did wish that her friends from school could join as well.

She could see it clearly already, Jae-ha getting drinks for everyone while Zeno and Kija helped decorate the apartment. Yun making everyone some late-night snacks as Shin-ah got Ao to help hang up ornaments on the tree.

She sighed with a smile at the thought. Maybe next year they’d have Christmas together at the apartment as the little self-made family they were. For now though, this was more than enough for her, and by the look on Hak’s face, watching his grandpa, cousins and brother muck about together, she knew he felt the same.

Before they even knew it, it was getting late and so everyone went about saying their goodnights and headed off to bed.

As Yona sleepily climbed the stairs she yawned broadly and had to catch herself from slipping the last step.

“Careful there, you don’t want to go and smack your head before Christmas tomorrow. The headache of being woken up at 6 am for presents is going to be killer enough already without a minor concussion.” Hak whispered in her ear from behind, making her jump.

“Do you have to sneak up behind me like that? If you don’t want me to trip, try not to give me a heart attack!” She whisper-yelled back.

He chuckled, “well if you did fall I’d catch you so its alright isn’t it?” he said now smiling fondly as a blush ran across her cheeks.

“I’m still not sure that this is real you know. That today actually happened. That I could be this happy.” He admitted softly.

“I know what you mean.”

“Yona?”

“Y-yes?” she stuttered, being caught off guard by him actually calling her by her name. She’d gotten so used to him calling her ‘Princess’ that the sound of just her name on his lips seemed almost foreign to her ears.

“Thank you.” He said, and with that, he leaned in and gave her a soft yet lingering kiss before saying goodnight and heading to his own room leaving her frozen in place on the steps.

Would she get used to this?

This much more open affection Hak now seemed to be showering her in? It all seemed so strange after being friends for so long assuming it was that way all because the other didn’t feel anything more for them.

At the very least, it might take her a while.

After a moment or two, she managed to get her head out of the clouds and realising she was still just standing there on in the middle of the stairs and headed to her own room. Once wrapped up warm in her Pj’s she snuggled down deep under the covers as her heart still fluttered like a butterfly in her chest, sending her into a realm of sweet dreams and soft kisses.

{*****}

Hak hadn’t been exaggerating at being woken up early the next morning as Yona was dragged out of bed at 6 am by Tae-Yun who had to lead her by the sleeve into the living room to keep her from bumping into any walls with her eyes still being clouded with sleep.

Hak didn’t seem nearly as bothered by the early wake up call she noted with a twinge of annoyance. Either he was well accustomed to being woken up like this for special occasions or all those days spent going to early morning training sessions made him fairly used to only getting short stints of sleep.

She also supposed that might be the same reason why he loved taking naps in the afternoon so much now that she thought about it.

Either way, the day was joyful as they all had breakfast and then exchanged gifts with one another.

For Tae-Yun Yona had gotten him a new hat, like the one he always wore, was looking a little worse for wear. For Mundok, she had gotten him his favourite coffee beans that she knew were hard to find and for the cousins she had gotten them each a new fine grain whetstone, seeing how excited they had been for weapons training with Hak.

In return, she had been given an array of gifts including a new light pink scarf, and a collapsible travel hairbrush to which there were a few snickers knowing how frustrated she could get when it came to taming her vibrant locks among other odds and ends that she gratefully accepted and thanked everyone for.

After about an hour they seemed to have gotten through everything and so they all started to clean up all the scraps of wrapping paper and ribbon that had been scattered on the floor until Hak pulled her aside.

“Your present is actually outside,” he said taking her elbow and guiding her to the door.

She hadn’t even realised that up until that point he hadn’t given her a present being so distracted by everyone’s merriment around her.

“Hang on, let me just finish helping clean everything up.”

“Don’t worry about it, there are enough hands helping out and Gramps told me to give you your present before it gets damaged by the cold.”

“He knows what it is?” she asked a little surprised as he ignored her earlier statement and grabbed her hand, leading her outside to the front yard.

“Well, it was a little hard to hide anywhere else, so I had to tell gramps and ask if I could keep it in the garage for now.”

“What in the world did you get me?”

“You’ll see, now close your eyes and wait here. Don’t open them until I say so.” He said and with that left her standing outside in the driveway while he went off to rummage through the garage.

She didn’t have to wait long however, as two minutes later she could hear his footsteps crunching in the snow in front of her before he told her she could open her eyes.

When she did, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

In front of her, Hak stood with the most gorgeous bow she had ever seen.

It was a recurve bow, probably a Mongol horse bow based on its size and shape. She stood there rooted to the ground in astonishment before managing to make her feet move as she took a step forward as he handed her the weapon.

Right by the grip, there was a small single carving that had then been burned into the wood of a dragon curled around itself in an array of knots.

“I remembered you always said you wanted to become stronger, wanted me to teach you something and well. . . I thought that the bow might be a good fit for you. Archery is about brain, not brawn and takes a lot of focus and skill, but I have a feeling you’d be more than up for the challenge” he said casually, though his expression was a bit sheepish, worried that he may have been wrong and that she wouldn’t like it.

“Hak, I don’t have the words. . . It's beautiful! Thank you so much!” she exclaimed, running her thumb over the dragon carving.

He seemed to relax at this.

“I’m glad you like it. I saw the dragon and. . . I just knew. With your hair like flames it seemed only fitting that you’d have a dragon’s bow” he said smirking, but she could only beam in response.

“It’s perfect. When can teach me to use it?” she asked excitedly, looking up at him.

“Whenever you like.” He replied now smiling genuinely back, happy to see her so excited to learn.

“Then show me right now! I want to see how much practice I can do before dinner!” she said, and he laughed.

And for the rest of the afternoon, they stood in the snow together, firing shot after shot at a nearby pine as Hak began to show her the right posture and how to get a feel for a good shot. Eventually, they were called inside for dinner, much to the relief of their numb fingers and toes but to Yona’s overall disappointment making Hak swell with pride at her determination as if it were his own.

After Christmas dinner however and after they had all enjoyed a good hot chocolate by the fire, Yona was surprised when Hak pulled her aside once more, long after everyone else had gone to bed.

“Come on, I have one more thing for you,” he said, grabbing both their jackets and boots and heading back outside again.

“Another gift?! Hak, that’s too much, I only got you the one gift! I feel terrible now!” She said, now looking slightly dismayed but pulling on her jacket and boots and following him nonetheless.

“Don’t worry It’s only something small and didn’t take much effort. I just figured that I should revisit that old album we listened to in the car and revise some things.” He said, glancing her way to see her reaction as he brought out his guitar from where he had hidden it behind a tree earlier.

When he’d had the time to do that she’d never know.

“Revise? But I love that album already, why would you need to revise it?” she asked looking more confused now than anything else.

“Nothing much, I just figured the tone could change for one in particular, given how things are now.” He said giving her a small smirk and with nothing else to say Hak quickly sat down on a nearby rock and tuned his guitar –As it had gotten out of tune due to the cold temperatures outside –before he began to strum and sing.

“I wish I could play the violin

I'd play 'til tears rolled down your cheek and chin

And if you sang along

We could write the loveliest song

Sometimes, I indulge my every whim

And piece by piece, I build the cell I'm in

But, I only stay here long enough

To write the loveliest song”

Yona’s smile wasn’t even comparable to the joy she felt as she instantly recognised the song upon the first few notes.

It was ‘The Precipice’.

He had taken her favourite song that he’d ever written and changed the lyrics ever so slightly to match its happy and light tune.

He’d changed it from “the saddest song” to ‘the loveliest’, and the smile on his own face was enough to make her heartache.

“I dreamt I stood on a hill that I wished was a mountain

To look back on all my accomplishments

Well, they must have been small, because I couldn't seem to find them

So, I took a leap off of the precipice”

As he continued on Yona slowly made her way over and sat down beside him on the rock he had uncovered from the snow, closing her eyes and absorbing the feeling of the song as the night air made her cheeks grow flush.

“I wish I could play piano well

I’d hit the keys that make your spirit swell

And if you sang along

We could write the loveliest song”

At the last line of the verse, she opened her eyes and looked back at Hak to find him gazing at her, eyes that breathtaking electric blue that she loved so much.

“I dreamt I stood on a hill that I wished was a mountain

To look back on all my accomplishments

Well, they must have been small, because I couldn't seem to find them

So, I took a leap off of the precipice”

“Whatever the cost

Whether it works out or not

Whatever the cost

Whether it works out or not

I’ll follow you I'll follow you

I'll follow you with my heart”

As he let the last echoes of the song fade into the night Hak set aside his guitar before turning back to Yona.

“So? What do you think of the changes? Not too drastic right, but what do you think, should we keep them?” he asked, trying not to get lost in the glow her smile seemed to blind him with.

The smile that he made appear. The smile that was _for_ him.

Oh, he could see this every day and still be rendered speechless by its radiance.

“I think you somehow managed to make my favourite song even better if that's even possible.” She replied, scooching closer and leaning into his side.

“Thank you, Hak.” She said, giving him a soft kiss on his neck (as while he was sitting up properly that was as high as she could reach), “This has to be the best Christmas ever.”

He smiled and reached down and held her hand in his, twining their fingers together, “Anything for you, Princess.” And he brought her hand to his lips giving them a soft kiss of his own.

They sat like that for a while, just enjoying each others company as they watched the stars come out. It was quiet in a way that held nothing but contentment between them both, as though it was something they had both needed and was long overdue without either even realising it.

It was different from their time up at the fort, or when they hung out with everyone else back at the apartment. And it was certainly different from when they were together with family but this. . . this was like recharging after a long day and they both felt some hole deep inside of them begin to heal.

As the moon began to shift higher overhead, Hak finally broke the silence.

“You know, now that I think about it, it is a little unfair that you got two gifts and I only got one,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“What?! Well I know but, well. . . I don’t have anything else and—”

“Yes, you do,” he said cutting her off.

“What do you mean?”

“Right there,” he said, not even turning his gaze away from her to indicate something that might have been hidden away.

“Where? I don’t –” she sputtered confusedly.

“Right here.” He said leaning down and stealing her lips in a kiss.

She was rigid for barely a moment before melting into it returning his affection in kind. This might be something to get used to, this seeming fondness he seemed to have for catching her off guard with kisses. But it was one she was happy to oblige all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this chapter was quite rushed so I’m sorry for the pacing and mistakes (I’ll be sure to go back at fix them when I can I just really wanted to get another chapter up).
> 
> Things have been hectic but that’s no excuse for how late this update is or for its quality but bear with me for now.   
> Thanks so much for reading this far as always and I love you guys and this fandom (You’re all such sweethearts and so friendly) <3


	11. Chapter 11

It seemed like the winter holidays had gone by far too quickly as Yona finished zipping up her bag and started to head downstairs with it so Hak could finish loading up the car.

They had promised the rest of their friends that they would be home for New Years so that they could all celebrate together. This, however, meant saying goodbye to Hak’s family early. And so, as happy as she was to head back, Yona still felt rather sad for the moment.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Hang-dae snatched up her bag with a wink and went go help Hak with the car while she said her goodbyes.

Little Tae-yun was the first in line to demand a hug before she went, and she was happy to oblige, picking him up and spinning him about the room until he was grinning from ear to ear. Then Mundok stepped forward and wrapped her in one of his infamous bear hugs to which, with her at least, she was lucky he was mindful not to suffocate her.

With quick hugs for both Hang-dae and Tae-woo it was Hak’s turn. True to form Tae-yun was the only one who Hak readily accepted a hug from. Tae-woo and Hang-dae had to dogpile Hak to get their own and after almost causing an all-out brawl, he eventually relented and let Mundok give him a bear hug too with Yona stifling a giggle from behind as she watched the entire event unfold.

Goodbyes now said, the two of them hopped into Hak’s car and waved goodbye as they went on their way.

Similar to the trip there, Yona and Hak spent most of the drive singing and harmonizing together. This time to some of the newer songs he and Jae-ha had managed to scribble up, Yona picking out a part for herself along the way.

She was almost surprised when what seemed like barely an hour later, Hak was already pulling up to the apartment, time having escaped her while they had been having fun.

Eager to see her friends again, she wasted no time in jumping out of the car and racing towards the front door, leaving Hak to sigh and chuckle to himself as he got out too and went to grab their stuff from the back. Something Yona had seemed to have forgotten about in her excitement.

As soon as she got in the door Yona called out to see if anyone else had arrived before them. When only Jae-ha replied, calling down a hello and that he’d be down in just a moment from upstairs, she concluded they must be the first ones back.

No matter, she thought to herself. She’d get to see them all again soon enough. It hadn’t even been that long, but her friends here were her family and they had been together for so long now, it seemed odd whenever they were apart for more than a few days.

Not a moment later, Jae-ha descended the stairs just as Hak shuffled through the door, dumping all their stuff in the hall.

He quirked an eye at his roommate who seemed suspiciously out of breath and sweating before he glanced back out the window and noted how full both their garbage and recycling were.

He must have woken up late and only just remembered they were coming back today and had run around cleaning up a week’s worth of party mess in just under a few hours. 

The final damning evidence was a forgotten red solo cup sitting on the top of the coat rack.

Jae-ha noticed where he was looking and tried putting on his most innocent smile as he shrugged.

“Welcome back you two! How was your Christmas?” he asked trying to change the subject before anyone had even said a word.

One thing Hak would give him was that the man was always fast on his feet both running around the house and thinking on the spot. Being thorough at cleaning on the other hand? That was another story entirely.

Hak just waved him off though. He’d mostly kept his promise as the house looked to be in relative order, so he’d only have Yun to face next time the trash was due to be collected and they wouldn’t be able to fit anything else in any of the bins.

Yona, on the other hand, piped up cheerily telling him all about their Christmas and how Mundok and the others were doing much to Jae-ha’s evident relief.

She also excitedly raced over to where Hak had dumped their stuff and proudly grabbed her new bow to show him.

“Wow, it looks wonderful Yona-Dear. Very impressive.” He told her with a smile.

“Isn’t it though? Hak got it for me as my Christmas present and is teaching me how to use it properly!”

“Did he now?” Jae-ha asked in surprise, looking up to give the man a curious look, “And how exactly have his lessons been so far then?”

“Well so far, I can pull the bowstring most of the way back but Hak usually still has to help me get it back all the way and help keep me steady so that my shots don’t go way off target.” She admitted, embarrassed that she couldn’t quite do it all by herself yet even though she’d barely had a day of practice.

That wasn’t what had caught Jae-ha’s attention however as his face now turned sly.

“Holding you steady, now was he? Ah, I see how it is!” he said while nudging Hak in the ribs, only to be slightly put out and disappointed when he didn’t get his usual reaction of annoyance out of him. Instead, this time all he got was indifference at his teasing which struck him as odd and only made him more curious about everything that had gone on while they been away at Hak’s Grandpa’s place.

That aside, he didn’t have long to dwell on it as Yona was soon bombarding him with questions about how his Christmas was and making sure he hadn’t been lonely without them, that he’d eaten right and looked after himself.

Ever the concerned and caring friend.

He humoured her in this and assured her he’d been fine and had a great time, partying with some of his other friends from university and the like, while leaving out details that she didn’t need to know here and there.

Once placated, Yona excused herself to go help Hak take their things upstairs and unpack seeing as she’d forgotten to help unpack the car.

She had only just put her bag on her shoulder and was reaching to grab Hak’s for him when he snatched it out from underneath her before she could get it.

“Hak! Let me take them both. You got both of them from the car, so I’ll feel bad for making to carry more stuff.” She told him, pouting.

He only ruffled her hair in response telling her not to worry about it before he jogged up the stairs but not before sneaking in a chaste kiss on her cheek when Jae-ha wasn’t looking, leaving her blushing at the bottom of the stairs before chasing after him.

{*****}

A few hours later, everyone else was home.

Yun was the first to arrive back, already complaining to everyone about how much of a hassle Ik-su was as soon as he got through the door. No one, however, missed the fondness in his face as he talked about the time they got to spend together after months of him being away.

Not long after him, Zeno arrived all smiles and holiday spirit dragging a bundled-up Shin-ah behind him, having bumped into him in the driveway which was quickly filling up with snow.

Kija was last to show up, as his granny had kept him from coming back any sooner by nagging his ear off about how he didn’t visit her often enough.

Once everyone was back and they all had the chance to catch up and share stories of their holiday adventures, Yun called everyone to attention.

“Alright, now that we’re all back it’s about time we got ready to celebrate New Years tonight! I’ll start making dinner while you guys get some party crackers, fireworks and the like. Sound good?” he said, ever the organised mother hen of the family.

“Shin-ah and I can go get the party crackers.” Said Kija.

“Zeno will get the party hats!” said Zeno.

“I’ll get the drinks.” Added in Jae-ha with a grin to which everyone rolled their eyes.

“Hak and I can grab the fireworks then!” said Yona, jumping up and down excitedly as she went to go find her jacket.

“Sounds good. Try and aim to all be back around seven. Dinner should be ready by then.” Yun said, looking pleased with how everything was falling together so well. He’d never admit it, but he liked helping look after the apartment and being with his friends –as annoying as they could be.

Now that everyone had a job and a deadline, they all went about their designated tasks, all a bit more excited for the evening than before.

{*****}

Soon enough seven o’clock had come and gone. Dinner had been eaten. Party crackers popped with they cheap toys and trinkets already traded and swapped around while they each took turns reading out terrible jokes and riddles on the strips of paper they found inside.

At one point, the guys had all ganged up on Yona and forced her to wear all their paper crown hats at once stacked on top of each other seeing as she was their ‘Princess’, so it only made sense that she wear a crown after all.

She had just laughed with them as they had all chased her around the house trying to shove their hats on her head as she ran without ripping them. Eventually, she gave in and let them all stack their paper crowns in a mess atop her head. Shin-ah even added Ao on top, letting the little squirrel fold and re-arrange the paper to make a nest of sorts.

By now it was around nine at night and they still had another three hours to go until the New Year and everyone was starting to wind down a bit more.

That is, until Jae-ha suggested that they play a game to pass the time until the final countdown was on tv.

At first, everyone agreed, seeing as it sounded like fun and would be a good way to pass the time.

“There’s a catch though,” he added with a wink at the group, “Whoever wins gets to force everyone else to do one thing of the winner’s choice!”

“That just sounds sketchy coming from you droopy Eyes,” Hak remarked looking unamused with the suggestion.

“Oh come on guys! We have to make it more interesting somehow, and what better way than by adding stakes to the game?” he continued on, undiscouraged.

“It’ll be fine guys, let's just go with it and have some fun,” Yona said casually from her place on the couch.

“Exactly right Yona-Dear!” he replied giving her a small thumbs up and a wink.

“What are we even going to play then?” asked Yun, still sceptical of the whole thing but willing to go along with it for now.

“I don’t know, I didn’t think I’d get this far. Any suggestions?” said Jae-ha.

Suddenly Zeno lit up with his usual huge grin and sunny disposition, always ready to have fun.

“Zeno thinks we should play Uno!”

“Uno? Really?” Hak said, expecting the usual friendship-breaking monopoly to suggested by someone, but when no one had any real complaints they decided to just go with it.

Another hour or so later there were spilt drinks and chips scattered everywhere as they finished up the game. They had decided to play similar to the online version where you can swap each others’ cards, thinking it might make for a more interesting game.

They were not disappointed.

Kija had become furious every time he managed to get Uno but forgot to yell it out thereby missing his chance. Shin-ah just played with no intent of winning had been more distracted by feeding Ao their snacks the entire time. Yun had ended up getting stuck with shitty cards for the whole game and eventually just got fed up and forfeited, instead, going about trying to clean up some of the mess they had managed to make. Zeno on the other hand, despite suggesting the game, had no idea how to play and thus did very poorly between having to ask the rules every time it was his turn and making his decisions based purely off what colour he preferred at the time. 

Yona had tried her best but kept getting her cards taken from her every time she finally managed to pick up a good card, and Jae-ha and Hak had just been at each others’ throats every time they forced the other to pick up another 4 cards or blocks their turn.

Overall though, throughout the chaos of it all they had all had a good time but in the end there someone had to win, and that person just so happened to be Jae-ha himself.

“Alright man, what do you want us to do? Just get it over with, we know it’s not going be anything good.” Hak grumbled as he helped gather up all the cards and put them back in their box.

Without missing a beat Jae-ha simply spread both of his arms in the air and loudly announced his request.

“I demand that we all go and get tattoos together!”

“NO WAY!” everyone yelled back.

“Oh come on! You guys agreed to the stakes!” he complained.

“Yeah, that was before we knew you were going to be an idiot about the punishment!” Yun yelled at him.

“I mean, he does have a point,” Yona said begrudgingly, “We did agree.”

“I can’t get a tattoo! How will I ever get a respectable job in the workforce with something as inappropriate as that!” Kija whined.

Shin-ah just sat in the corner looking unhappy seeing as he wasn’t keen on needles.

“How about this,” Zeno interrupted before the argument went on any further when they were supposed to be getting along and celebrating the New Year together, “Instead of real tattoos, we go out and get some of that temporary tattoo ink that lets you draw whatever you want and it lasts longer than those little stick-on ones?”

Jae-ha looked put out that they wouldn’t go for his idea, claiming they were all no fun but ultimately agreed it was better than nothing and so he headed out to go find some much to everyone else’s relief.

When he came back, everyone begrudgingly grabbed some ink and started to work on a design. Most of them decided to go with drawing a dragon, seeing as the coming new year was supposed to be the year of the dragon. Jae-ha decided to draw a green one on his right leg, making it wrap around his calf in an intricate design.

Kija went for grabbing the white ink in the hopes that it wouldn’t show up well on his already pale skin and drew one the wrapped up his upper arm. At one point though he regretted his decision when he had to go find a mirror to finish drawing it when he ended up drawing it too far up his arm where he couldn’t see what he was doing properly.

Once Jae-ha was finished Zeno got him to draw a massive dragon in yellow on his back and then proceeded to help Shin-ah draw a blue one on his neck, though this turned out to be more difficult than anyone expected because Ao liked to sit snuggled up to his neck while on his shoulder and kept smudging the ink before it could dry and dying her lovely cedar coloured fur bright blue.

Yun scoffed at them all, praying the whole time that none of them would be stupid and smudge the ink on any of the furniture before it dried. Instead of a dragon, he decided he would do a simple feather pattern on his wrist. The dragons everyone were drawing were just to gaudy for his tastes.

Hak, without a better idea, just went with it and let Jae-ha draw a jet-black dragon stretching from one shoulder to the next, its claws made to look as though they were gripping them in order to hold on, it’s expression fierce. He was actually surprised Droopy Eyes had done such a good job instead of drawing something shitty on purpose knowing he’d be stuck with it for a few weeks.

When he looked over to see how Yona was doing he had to stop himself from staring too much, otherwise, Droopy Eyes would have noticed and given him hell for it for sure.

She had put her hair up in a small ponytail and gotten a small makeup mirror from her room and was using it to draw a small red dragon just behind her ear and following her hairline slightly as its tail curled down the side of her neck to wrap under where her hair usually covered.

Though she had never been great at art, Hak was impressed with how fluid and detailed she had managed to make the dragon look. She certainly never ceased to surprise him that was for sure.

By the time they were done, it was nearing midnight and so they hurriedly grabbed the fireworks they’d gotten and headed out to the yard to light them.

Yun used his phone to countdown the last seconds of the year and as the alarm went off at 12:00 am they each lit a firework and watched as the sky was filled with a riot of colour and sparks as they went off, all of them cheering and running around in the snow like kids.

It was sure to be a great year to come, of that, there was no doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this was so much later than I anticipated it being, between exams coming up and the fact that I may be moving things kinda took me by surprise for a while and kept me busy.  
> Hope this chapter is alright, it might be a bit rushed, but I just wanted to get something up and posted before I left it any longer. It was a bit of another filler chapter, I hope that’s alright. I plan to get more into Hak and Yona’s relationship in this story and how the others take it/interact with this change etc in the coming chapters (plus more fluff because there’s never enough of that) so bear with me.  
> Thanks for reading this far! <3


	12. Chapter 12

Once everyone had said their congratulations and wished each other the best of luck in the new year, they had each decided to call it a night and head to bed. They were all exhausted from travelling all day and then celebrating for most of the night so there were no real complaints.

Yona was the first to head upstairs wishing everyone a good night while they finished the last of the drinks. It had been unseasonably warm all day and so she was looking forward to getting to wear her lighter pair of PJs’ as she snuggled up under the covers that night.

Still, she’d have to make it up the two flights of stairs first before she could succumb to sleep. And so, she trudged up and up and up, absentmindedly counting the stairs as she went. She’d figured out ages ago how many steps were between each landing. That way she could make her way to and from the kitchen in the dark without having to turn on any lights every time she woke up needing a drink or a late-night snack.

For the record; it went by nine and seven, between each landing and the next level.

Ah yes, she thought to herself, the useful tricks you learn when you’re a night owl.

Night owl or not though, she still loved the chance to for a good long sleep all cozied up in her bed, and on that thought, she finally made it to the top and made her way down the end of her hall to her room.

There was something so relaxing about coming back to your own room after sleeping away for a few nights. Somehow, just the smell of her own room put her mind at ease. It was nothing more than the laundry detergent she used, but all the same, it brought a weary smile to her face as she let herself face plant down on her covers.

Still face down, she blindly used her toes to pull off her socks and chuck them across the room, before forcing herself to slide down onto the floor so she could actually change her shirt and pants.

Making her way over to her closet, she picked out a simple blank camisole and her favourite long pair of PJ pants. The ones that were just slightly too long so she could wrap the ends around her toes.

That done, she grabbed her toiletry bag and shuffled down to the bathroom she shared with Jae-ha and Hak to brush her teeth and wash her face. Usually, she’d brush her hair too but for once it wasn’t too tangled and looked alright, so she let it slide in favour of sleeping sooner.

Finally, now ready for bed, she wasted no time in throwing back the covers and jumping in before wrapping herself up in a blanket burrito. She could hear the others downstairs beginning to make the climb up to their own beds too and drifted off to the comforting sound of the hushed tones of her friends still chatting and the familiar creaking floorboards of the old house.

It was good to be home again.

{*****}

She awoke with a start when she heard the first rumble of thunder shake the house.

‘No! No, no, no, not tonight! Tonight, was so fun why does there have to be a huge storm coming in now?’ Yona whined to herself in her head.

That stupid out of season warm front must have caused the storm to roll in so suddenly, and so violently at that.

Glancing at her clock it was about three in the morning.

Too late that anyone else would not have already fallen asleep and too early before anyone would wake up again.

She knew it was stupid, but she really, _really_ hated thunderstorms. It was something that no matter how much she could rationalise it, they still made her shake with each loud boom that she felt vibrate down to her bones and each flash that lit up a pitch-black room filling it with shadows that reached for her like long fingers.

She tried to just huddle down, play some music through her headphones and ignore it but she could still feel the storm’s tremors and see the lightning through her closed eyes.

It was no use and she didn’t know what to do.

Usually, when storms like this passed through, she managed to sleep through them without waking up, and if they were during the day, she could blare her music loud enough to drown out the sound and keep all the lights on in her room.

Why did the year have to start off like this?

Out of options, she grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around herself and over her head like a blanket-parka and slipped on her slippers before hesitantly leaving her room and tiptoeing her way down the hall.

{*****}

“Hak?” he heard a voice whisper somewhere in the cloud of sleep that filled his mind.

“Hak?” He heard it again. This time however accompanied by the feeling of being lightly prodded in the shoulder. The voice also held a quiver to it that caught his attention enough for him to crack open his eyes and try and make out what was going on in the dark of his and Jae-ha’s room.

Glancing around a bit to adjust his eyesight, his eyes eventually landed on the small figure wrapped in fluff and knelt down on the floor by his bedside looking up at him with large doe-like eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.

“Yona?” his voice croaked deep and groggy in a low whisper, “What’s wrong? Are you alright?” he asked, confusion and worry now beginning to seep in.

She seemed relieved that he was now awake but also at a loss of what to do now that she’d managed to wake him.

“Umm, well yes and no, I guess. I’m fine, but it’s just that. . . well the there’s a really big storm tonight and the thunder is really loud is all and. . .” she drifted, muttering under her breath, now unable to meet his eyes while trying her best to not sound like a child despite being petrified by the storm and not wanting to be alone.

She was also trying her best not to wake up Jae-ha as she felt bad enough waking just one of her housemates up for such a ridiculous reason. The last thing she wanted was everyone else finding her in such a state. She was certain if they did, they were sure to try and coddle her more than they already did and treat her like a child.

Hak was different though, He already knew she didn’t handle storms very well ever since the night she’d found out her father had been killed. It had been pelting raining that night and Hak had been there with her, acting as her rock amidst the storm both outside and in her head.

And as embarrassed as she was about letting something as simple as a thunderstorm render her a quivering mess, she still found on those nights when the storms were loudest and the nightmares the most vivid that she needed to find her rock.

“Hang on, Princess. Just give me a minute.” Hak said, already understanding what the issue was despite her horrible explanation.

Heaving a sigh as he prepared for the cold shock, he threw off his covers, eased himself up and swung his legs off the bed before standing up and slowly padding his was over to Yona’s room with her trailing close behind.

He didn’t want Droopy Eyes to wake up and find Yona there with them. Not for any teasing that might initially come from it or anything like that, but because he knew that Yona wouldn’t want him to see her like that.

Wouldn’t want him seeing her falling apart, especially after how she’d been smiling all day with them.

She was stronger than anyone else Hak had ever met when it came to the strength of her will and determination, but she was still human, and still just a young girl who not too long ago lost her father tragically.

The others knew the general story of it, sure. But, both of them generally tried to hide the scars left from that day the best they could, and they respected that.

After a few minor waves of panic when lightning lit up the halls and thunder shook the house again, they managed to make it to her room with Yona mostly alright.

Once there, Hak simply trudged his way over to her bed and threw back the covers before sliding in and patting the space beside him.

Relieved that he would stay with her until the storm had passed, she wasted no time in hurrying over and snuggling down under the blankets beside him and pulling the covers up over her head as she curled into a tight ball while the storm continued to shake the house outside.

Chuckling softly, he pulled her close and wrapped the covers more tightly around them both, stroking her hair and rubbing her back up and down in long soothing strokes as she hid her face in his chest.

Another loud crack of thunder and the sound of a tree being blown over outside, branches snapping loudly as they were crushed under its own weight, wrung a whimper from her as she grabbed onto the collar of his shirt in her small hand.

"Shhhh, it's ok. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Everything will be alright, I promise. So you can sleep easy now."

He could feel her trembling violently within his arms, only interrupted by a sudden jump whenever the wind shook the house or lightning lit up the room.

It hurt him to see her like this. Reduced to a scarred little girl when he knew how strong the fire was that lit her soul. He’d do anything to make the pain from that day go away for her. For both of them. But for now, he knew all he could do was be there for her, like he had always done and like he always would.

“Sorry about all this, Princess.” He whispered breaking the silence in the hopes of distracting her.

“Guess I should be more careful.”

It seemed to do the trick.

“What? What on Earth are you talking about? Be more careful about what?” she asked, bemused as she tentatively raised her face up enough to look at him.

“You know, the storm and all. They do call me the Thunder Beast after all. I guess I must have called a storm in when I was practicing with my Guan Dao earlier this morning before we left Gramp’s place. Really now, I should have known better than to practice my skills so magnificently while outside. I guess I’ll never learn.” He teased, tutting softly while shaking his head in mock dismay.

He was relieved when his little joked managed to get a giggle out of her, even if it was only a small one, it seemed to help ease her as he felt her begin to finally relax snuggled up against him.

“Well I’ll admit, maybe I shouldn’t have taunted you so much and maybe then you wouldn’t have felt the need to show off” She replied.

“You would accuse me of showing off? Never!”

“Oh, really now? What about that time you had a tournament and you kept pointedly rolling your eyes and yawning while you sparred with your opponent?” she accused, poking him in the chest.

He lifted his head pointedly not looking down at her, “I was really tired that day, I hadn’t gotten much sleep.”

“Suuuure. Whatever you say, you big show-off.” She chuckled lightly, even as he grabbed the hand that still lay on his chest and brought it up to rest over his heart.

“Only for you, Princess.” He said, leaning in to brush a kiss on top of her hair.

She blushed at this but didn’t protest as she cuddled closer to him, tucking her head up just under his chin.

“You’re not cute, you know that?”

“I feel like I should be offended by that somehow.”

“Don’t be. Bodyguards aren’t cute,” She said but added in a softer tone afterwards, “they’re handsome.”

He didn’t quite miss it however as he perked up a bit more, “What was that last part just now?”

But she just ignored him, instead, tilting her head up just enough to press a kiss just under his jaw before saying, “Goodnight, Hak. Thank you for staying here with me over something so silly.”

He smiled to himself as he only held her tighter in response.

“You and I both know it’s not silly and that you don’t need to thank me for something like this. All you have to do is shout and I’ll come running.”

“Hak?”

“Ya?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. Now gets some sleep.”

And with that Yona finally managed to drift off to sleep again, this time to the sound of Hak’s heartbeat and the feeling of his hands, still stroking gently up and down her back. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve him or if she ever would, but she was thankful he was here with her never-the-less.

Hak was a good guy, and a loyal friend and she could always count on him even for the small things and she’d do everything she could to be there for him if and when he ever needed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, I’m finally starting to get some more ideas for this story again after a pretty long leave of absence so hopefully I can keep this rolling for awhile longer. As always thanks for reading this far and reviews are always welcome.  
> I do plan and having the dragons and Yun be more involved in this story so don’t worry and hopefully I can get that ball rolling soon too.   
> Happy Holidays!

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope that you guys enjoyed my first attempt at a modern AU akayona fic. This will be a multichapter story, however, I have no idea how long. I plan to just keep running with it until my brain eventually just gives up on me in the idea department, but along the way, I hope you enjoy its own little vices and virtues.   
> If in a few days when I go back to read it over again and I don’t like it, I may add in/change some things and update it, but we’ll see how it goes.  
> Once again, any kind of advice or review on what you liked/didn’t like and how I may improve is always appreciated.  
> The original song: https://youtu.be/vdwhFXHvfN0 (I changed some of the lyrics on my own but it still follows this tune)  
> Love you guys!


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